Belgrade-based band Statico just released “Not A Catwalk,” the first track from their forthcoming LP “Absurdity of this world” scheduled for late August. The record will be a collaboration involving four labels: Out of the Darkness (Serbia, connected to the widely-distributed OOTD fanzine), Slovenia’s Onesnaževanje uma, Serbia’s Ayran Sounds (managed by the band itself), and Poland’s Refuse Records.
Statico emerged during the Covid era, formed by musicians with a long history in the Serbian punk scene, spanning more than 25 years across numerous local bands.
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Their style is distinctly old-school hardcore punk, described as a mix of classic Italian hardcore influences and modern acts like Scarecrow and Glam.
The band’s previous 7″ was also released by Refuse Records, and they have played extensively in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Hungary, gearing up for another European tour later this year.
The new track directly references a tragic incident at Serbia’s Namenska factory in 2017, where two workers lost their lives due to systemic negligence. Lyrics criticize the disgraceful response from authorities, co-workers, and even the nation’s president, who notoriously dismissed the tragedy, harshly addressing the victim’s grieving father. Statico tackles these themes head-on:
“Gears keep turning, bodies hit the floor
Profit climbs, they want more
Parents cry, the mob obeys
Shut your mouth, or you’ll take his place”
This verse underscores the ruthless cycle of profit-over-safety mentality prevalent in industrial systems, further emphasized by the song’s refrain, echoing the president’s callous statement: “Not a catwalk.”
“Steel and fire, another dead slave
Nothing but numbers, sent to the grave
Spit on the grieving, silence the weak
Loyal to master, deaf to the screams”
Statico uses the specific factory incident to highlight broader systemic issues—worker exploitation, suppression of dissent, and prioritization of profit over human life.
As the band emphasizes, this song confronts the corrupted system head-on, calling attention to the widespread lack of empathy and entrenched greed that perpetuates such tragedies.
The full LP is currently at the pressing plant, with additional songs expected on digital platforms this weekend.
