STRANDED IN DOG CITY

​Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Year active: 2023 / 2024–present

Related bands: Dio Perkins, Poguba, Requeson

FFO: Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat, Shizune

photo: @jakofvir

Stranded in Dog City is a Slovenian screamo quartet that emerged from the remains of a hardcore band Dio Perkins. While the lineup stayed the same, the shift in sound came gradually, becoming fully realized with the release of their first demo tape - three tracks marking a clear transition toward a more emotionally driven approach.

Initially rooted in straightforward hardcore, the band began reshaping their identity as they grew more connected to the expressive and cathartic elements of screamo. This shift was heavily influenced by the rising presence of bands like Zbrucz within the regional scene, whose impact helped open space for a new wave of screamo acts in an environment previously dominated by hardcore, grind, and crust.

A defining moment came after attending a show in Plac (Ljubljana), featuring Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat, and Shizune - followed by their visit to Third Impact Fest in Modena. These experiences solidified their direction, pushing them further toward a more emotionally charged and dynamic sound.

While still active through their original project Dio Perkins, Stranded in Dog City serves as a more personal and expressive outlet, leaning into the intensity, vulnerability, and sonic range of modern European screamo.

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Stranded in Dog City je slovenački screamo kvartet koji je nastao iz ostataka hardcore benda Dio Perkins. Iako je postava ostala ista, promena zvuka se odvijala postepeno, da bi bila u potpunosti zaokružena izdavanjem njihovog prvog demo izdanja — tri pesme koje jasno označavaju prelazak ka emotivnijem izrazu.

U početku ukorenjeni u klasičnom hardcore zvuku, bend je vremenom počeo da preoblikuje svoj identitet, sve više se povezujući sa ekspresivnim i katarzičnim elementima screama. Na ovu transformaciju značajno je uticao i rastući uticaj bendova poput Zbrucz na regionalnoj sceni, koji su otvorili prostor za novu generaciju screamo izvođača u okruženju koje je ranije bilo dominantno hardcore, grind i crust orijentisano.

Ključni trenutak dogodio se nakon koncerta u Plac-u (Ljubljana), gde su nastupali Zbrucz, Mališa Bahat i Shizune, kao i nakon njihovog odlaska na Third Impact Fest u Modeni. Ta iskustva su učvrstila njihov pravac i dodatno ih usmerila ka emotivno nabijenijem i dinamičnijem zvuku.

Iako su i dalje aktivni kroz svoj prvobitni bend Dio Perkins, Stranded in Dog City funkcioniše kao ličniji i izražajniji projekat, naglašavajući intenzitet, ranjivost i zvučni raspon savremenog evropskog screama.

PHOTO: aleksander.s.art

WITH ENGINE HEART

Location: Celje, Slovenia

Year active: 2007

Members: Denis, Jure, Neven, Rok, Damir

Related bands: ????

FFO: Breakwater, Cartha Matha, Funeral Diner, Kaospilot, Sed Non Satiata, Yage

With Engine Heart were a short-lived quintet from Celje, Slovenia, formed sometime between late 2006 and 2007. Their existence was brief but focused. They recorded a demo and a single EP titled This City Is Dead and These Words Are the Nail in the Coffin. During their short run, they toured with bands such as Elodea and Judith Krishun.

The aforementioned EP consists of two studio tracks alongside several live clips from their tour with Elodea, possibly featuring unreleased material available only through those recordings.

Musically, WEH operated within a post-rock–infused screamo framework, drawing clear parallels to bands like Funeral Diner, Kaospilot, and Yage. Their sound was passionate, raw, and somber - emotionally charged instrumentation paired with anguished, desperate vocals. Lyrically, they leaned toward social critique and anti-capitalist themes. The compositions allowed space to breathe, building atmosphere before collapsing into intensity.

Below are the band’s own interpretations of two songs:

Losing Sleep - 'This song talks about fighting boredom and monotony of everyday life. It seems like the environment we live in is designed to keep us occupied with things we don’t want to do, just to provide for our basic needs, leaving very little time and energy, to see the world around us for what it is and for the activities we long for. A perfect scheme to create a society for careless consumers.'

Michele Bernstein - 'In cities, everyone gets lost in the crowd. The transport tends to take one person’s individual interest and levels it down to a predetermined path. Marketing has been taking over every possible square centimeter of the surfaces, so we’re left in a jungle of over-saturated colors, mind-numbing one-liners.

Everything’s pretty much focused on turning a real person into a mindless being. The city center lies under a false pretense of happening, with pop culture events masking the city’s dead gray nature. It soon becomes nothing but a parade of spectacles. Keeping the mass alienated under an area of socialization. This is simply a wake-up call.'

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With Engine Heart bio je kratkotrajni kvintet iz Celja, Slovenija, formiran negde između kraja 2006. i 2007. godine. Njihovo postojanje bilo je kratko, ali fokusirano. Snimili su demo i jedan EP pod nazivom This City Is Dead and These Words Are the Nail in the Coffin. Tokom tog perioda išli su na turneju sa bendovima poput Elodea i Judith Krishun.

Pomenuti EP sadrži dve studijske pesme uz nekoliko live snimaka sa turneje sa Elodeom, moguće uključujući i neobjavljen materijal dostupan isključivo kroz te snimke.

Muzički, WEH su se kretali u okviru screamo izraza sa snažnim post-rock uticajem, sa jasnim paralelama sa bendovima poput Funeral Diner, Kaospilot i Yage. Njihov zvuk bio je strastven, sirov i sumoran - emotivno nabijena instrumentacija uparena sa bolnim, očajničkim vokalima. Lirski su naginjali društvenoj kritici i antikapitalističkim temama. Kompozicije su ostavljale prostor za disanje, gradeći atmosferu pre nego što bi se urušile u intenzitet.

Tumačenja benda za dve pesme:

Losing Sleep –

„Ova pesma govori o borbi protiv dosade i monotonije svakodnevnog života. Čini se da je okruženje u kom živimo osmišljeno tako da nas drži zauzetima stvarima koje ne želimo da radimo, samo kako bismo obezbedili osnovne potrebe, ostavljajući vrlo malo vremena i energije da svet oko sebe sagledamo onakvim kakav jeste i da se posvetimo aktivnostima za kojima čeznemo. Savršena šema za stvaranje društva bezbrižnih potrošača.“

Michele Bernstein –

„U gradovima se svako izgubi u masi. Sistem nas usmerava tako da pojedinačni interes svodi na unapred određenu putanju. Marketing je preuzeo svaki mogući kvadratni centimetar površine, pa smo ostavljeni u džungli prezasićenih boja i zaglupljujućih slogana.

Sve je usmereno ka tome da se stvarna osoba pretvori u bezumnog pojedinca. Centar grada opstaje pod lažnim prividom dešavanja, gde pop-kulturni događaji maskiraju sivu, mrtvu prirodu grada. Ubrzo sve postaje samo parada spektakla, održavajući masu otuđenom pod prividom socijalizacije. Ovo je jednostavno poziv na buđenje.“

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E67cnLJ0El0&t=8s