Chicago’s Oddysseys are back, and they’ve brought the hounds of hell with them. For a band that has always thrived on the visceral energy of DIY spaces—sweaty basements, crumbling warehouses, and the shadowy corners of dive bars—the release of their new single “Cerbie” feels like a natural, if not inevitable, extension of their subterranean spirit. Named after Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades who stands guard at the gates of the underworld, “Cerbie” isn’t just a song. It’s an invitation to confront the hellish landscapes we all navigate, both within and without.
Much like Milton’s Satan or Dante’s Virgil-led wanderer, Oddysseys invites us to traverse these infernal realms armed only with their sonic torches—a light to guide us through the dark, twisting passages of existence. The trio has never been one to tread lightly; their songs are imbued with the same defiance that Cerberus himself embodies, a feral protector of the soul’s journey between damnation and deliverance. “Cerbie” plays with this mythology, twisting it into a modern-day metaphor for the battles we fight daily, the personal demons we confront, and the relentless pursuit of something like redemption.
Oddysseys have always operated under their own set of rules, firmly entrenched in a DIY ethos that rejects corporate polish and prefabricated paths. They write their own narrative—literally and figuratively—by writing, recording, booking, and promoting everything themselves. It’s this ethos that courses through the veins of “Cerbie,” a track that stands at the intersection of gothic melodrama and anthemic pop-punk energy, where one can hear echoes of The Cure’s melancholic grandeur, Stone Roses’ shimmering grooves, and New Order’s propulsive synthwork. But more than mere homage, Oddysseys refashion these influences into something distinctly theirs—unrefined, unyielding, and unashamed.
“Cerbie” is, on the surface, a deceptively bright, pop-driven post-punk anthem. It bounces with vocal harmonies and a catchy guitar riff that calls to mind the soaring melodic dynamism of Big Country’s expansive sound. But scratch beyond this dog’s ears, and you’ll find a dense layer of existential dread, wrapped up in catchy melodies that propel you forward even as the lyrics remind you that the journey is through fire, not around it. This is not escapism; this is confrontation. Treon’s lyrics, reminiscent of epic poetry, probe at life’s inescapable question—what awaits us at the end?
Dante, guided by the stoic Virgil, descended through the Nine Circles of Hell to understand the gravity of sin and redemption. In “Cerbie,” Oddysseys give us their own version of this descent—a modern-day allegory where hell is not a distant realm but something much closer to home, something embedded in the fabric of our lives. The track blends the grandeur of alternative instrumentation with a gothic synth undercurrent that pays homage to post-punk’s darker roots while embracing a contemporary urgency. The result is a track that feels both timeless and strikingly of the moment, a hymn for those caught between despair and the faint glimmer of hope.
Liste to Cerbie below:
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