In the vein of contradiction lies the true spirit of innovation. This sentiment holds true for the Ocean County, NJ-based band, Meteor Police, which is set to release its debut album “New Type Destroyer” on Bandcamp and 12″ vinyl on July 28. Fitting into no easy genre, they’ve defaulted to calling their style ‘post-punk’, but that label barely scratches the surface of their unique sound – a blend of rhythmic bass lines, unpredictable guitar lines, high-pitched shouted vocals, and an idiosyncratic approach to song structure.
A Band Born Out of Divergent Dreams
“Meteor Police was not the band any of its members wanted to form.”
Such a statement might seem disheartening, but for Meteor Police, it is the foundation of their existence. Bassist William Pompeo had grown weary of his instrument. Vocalist Shawn Clancy was ready to step away from bands entirely. Guitarist Dustin James was veering more towards solo omnichord performances, and drummer Justin Wright, a would-be founder of a progressive or psych rock group, wasn’t particularly fond of punk.
When these four individuals converged in the pandemic spring of 2021, their collective ideas should have been a clash of contradictions. Yet, in spite of their differing musical visions, Meteor Police has thrived, embodying a beautiful harmony of these contradictions.
Concoction of Contradictions
“Contradiction is a good word to describe Meteor Police as a whole.”
This sentiment rings true in their music, where they layer progressive song structure and pop sensibilities atop a foundation of punk rock snark and aggression. A trace of surf rock — an homage to their Jersey shore roots — occasionally seeps into the mix, further diversifying their sound. The ensemble of different elements is harmoniously strung together by driving bass lines and precise drumming.
Their sound falls somewhere between classic DC post-hardcore and contemporary post-punk, drawing comparisons from Fugazi to Shame to the B-52’s. Frontman Shawn Clancy, wearing a cardboard box on his head, delivers stern critiques on historical revisionism, incel culture, and trauma voyeurism, furthering their image of contradiction.
‘New Type Destroyer’: A Testament to Harmony in Dissonance
With their debut album “New Type Destroyer,” Meteor Police confirms that an ensemble can indeed be greater than the sum of its parts. Standouts on the album include the surf-goth love song “Nihilist Jazz,” the fiercely angular post-punk track “Incel King,” and the experimental “Routine Miracles/Endless Thirst.”
The record bears the mark of hard-fought compromises and serendipitous discoveries, a testament to four musicians pushing the boundaries of their opposing sensibilities. After one listen, you might find yourself aligning with their conclusion: common sense is overrated.
So, as Meteor Police prepares for their debut album release, the band’s story serves as a powerful reminder: Great music often emerges not from agreement, but from the productive friction of differing ideas.
Check out their special list of top album influences that helped them shaped “New Type Destroyer”.
Dustin James – Guitar
Les Savy Fav – “The Cat and the Cobra”
It’s probably not shocking to hear that Les Savy Fav is long steeped into Meteor Police’s DNA, and while I could probably point to ANY of their releases as pivotal to my writing, this was the one that kicked off my love affair with the band. Like their post-punk progenitors, they are masters of crafting songs that both make you shake a leg and wallop you with a raw, visceral sense of urgency.
In a similar vein, we want you to feel the gravity of what we’re trying to convey while you dance away your own demons in the process.
Minutemen – “Double Nickels on the Dime”
What more can be said about this album that hasn’t been penned countless times over the last 39 years? It’s an absolute classic that perfectly captures the sound of 3 outcast compadres playing whatever the fuck they want, at whatever tempo they want, and whether or not you enjoy it is of little consequence.
Every song is simultaneously mercurial yet airtight, and each instrument is played with such ferocity that you’re waiting to hear a string snap or a drum head collapse at any time. All bands, regardless of genre, should strive to make an album this sincere.
Justin Wright – Drums
Rush – “Signals”
This album has had a particular impact on my playing and writing because, of all the work Rush has put out, this was a truly transitional album that bridged their brand of prog rock into a mixture of new wave while maintaining the more complex instrumentation that they’re known for. The drums are very musical and fit right into each song effortlessly. It all makes sense and that’s how I try to approach writing drum parts.
Listen to “Subdivisions”, I play the same bell pattern on our track “Nihilist Jazz” as a nod to drummers who “get it” and because something like that drives the song.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – “Murder of the Universe”
Everyone who has met me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, so it’s no surprise that they are an influence on my playing. This album particularly was the one that inspired me to simplify in every way possible. I stripped my drum setup down to something smaller than I was used to which forced me to be creative with what I had. I began to veer away from overly complex drum parts, instead focusing on speed and power.
The entirety of “Altered Beat I-IV” was what I tried to emulate on drums. The drum fills and the total bombast that come from the brutal grooves in each song is something I really wanted to emulate.
Matt Pelli – Bass
Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Juju”
Their 4th record is their best, and possibly the greatest post punk record of all time! Before I joined Meteor Police I got the impression they wrote stuff like “Arabian Nights”. Now that I’m a part of the band I can commit to channeling a mix of both Severin and McGeoch’s performances in my own songwriting contributions. We can really sound like the banshees then.
Pixies – “Doolittle”
There might not be a better bass player out there than Kim Deal. Even with Frank Black stifling her presence on all songs post “Gigantic” she is a force to be reckoned with on this album. She is just so prominent in the mix! I want to be Meteor Police’s Kim Deal. Maybe I’ll get my own “Gigantic” someday.
Shawn Clancy – Vocals
The Blood Brothers – “Burn, Piano Island, Burn”
Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie’s voices are very different from each other, but both share a trait I lovingly refer to as “menacing effeminism”. Guy Picciotto in Fugazi (another major influence on me) also employs a similar delivery sometimes. When they aren’t screaming their heads off, they both have this anti-masculine way of delivering their lines that is just dripping with sarcasm and rage.
Hearing this album for the first time was a pivotal moment for me in my evolution as a vocalist as before this I had been a pretty standard screamer/yeller type, but ever since I have aimed to create my own brand of sassy yelping. I’m not looking to go to quite the lyrical and vocal extremes that Johnny and Jordan reached on Burn, Piano Island, Burn (nor am I physically capable of it) but the spirit of cynicism and snarkiness that runs through most of my work is heavily informed by this album.
mewithoutYou – “Catch for Us the Foxes”
This might be more of an aspiration than an influence, but Aaron Weiss’s rapid talk-sing delivery and poetic lyrics have always awed me. I could care less about the religious/spiritual bits, but the creative and beautiful ways he finds to be disappointed in himself resonate with me deeply. I’m generally more interested in social/political critiques than interpersonal stuff, but I usually find a way to work in a line or two of self-hate no matter what the topic is, and that is where I feel a connection.
Besides his writing skills, I love the way Aaron weaves his free-ranging vocal lines into the music. No matter how off-beat he goes he always finds his way back to the instrumentation in the nick of time. I always challenge myself to write creative vocal lines that aren’t beholden to the bass or guitar but still maintain musicality. I think a lot of that instinct derives from this album.
