Cape Town’s doom, atmospheric noise, drone, and sludge post-metal trio P+A+G+E+S unleash their debut full-length album No More Can Be Done, recorded with producer Simon Ratcliffe at Sound and Motion Studios between 3 and 7 February 2025.
A stark and slow-burning monolith, No More Can Be Done traverses themes of existential dread, geopolitical despair, environmental decay, and raw emotional weight, yet offers a glimmer of perseverance in a collapsing world. The album’s message is clear: take note of environmental degradation and challenge oppression by standing up for BIPOC, women, LGBTQI+, human, and animal rights.
More info about P+A+G+E+S
Formed in 2017, Caitlin Mkhasibe (drums), Frank Lunar (bass), and helo samo (guitar, vocals, sampling, and textural noise) have evolved from their post-rock and noise roots into a heavier, more drudging sound.
No More Can Be Done represents the culmination of years of interrupted yet deliberate creation – its earliest riffs conceived in late 2019, with completion delayed by the pandemic until writing resumed in March 2024.
“Grief and the depressing state of the world were big inspirations,” the band shares. “We wanted to create something that embodies that state and cast a light on things that are often hard to address – while writing music we would want to hear ourselves.”
Musically, the album unfolds like a descent into shadow.
Side A begins with chaotic, jolting noise that mutates into an industrial, mechanical rhythm before dissolving into a fragile, symphonic close.
Side B surges forward with dissonant tones and deliberate, crushing drums – each passage meticulously sculpted to evoke tension and release.
Lyrically, No More Can Be Done distills vast and overwhelming concepts into minimalist mantras, delivered through detached, spectral vocals that allow meaning to echo through repetition.
The songs were built from the ground up through raw experimentation. P+A+G+E+S guitarist helo samo brought riffs to rehearsal, which were then stripped and reassembled collectively. Early phone recordings became the foundation for demos tracked on an electronic kit and home setup.
All instruments were tracked live in one room to capture the immediacy and physical weight of their sound. After locking in mic placements, the band meticulously layered the record: live foundations, doubled guitars for stereo density, textures of noise and sampling, and finally, haunting vocal performances.
The album’s artwork, created by helo samo, depicts the stages of a dandelion’s life cycle – a quiet symbol of resilience and perseverance amidst chaos. The calm, natural image stands in deliberate contrast to the crushing sonic force within.
“The dandelion embodies the quality of being gentle but strong, spreading with the wind,” says the band.
You can stream the album HERE
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