There is something wonderfully uncomfortable about a good post-punk song. It can pull you in with a simple rhythm, surround you with dark guitars, and leave you feeling like something is slightly off in the best possible way. The House Flies tap into that feeling on their new single, “Derelict Crawl”.
The first single from the upcoming second album Lions and Ore, “Derelict Crawl” gives listeners an early glimpse into where the Moline, Illinois band is heading next. Built around a steady post-punk pulse, thick guitar layers and a refrain centred on “We don’t belong,” the track is one of the more direct moments on the forthcoming record.
Lyrically, the song moves through a collection of striking images, from dial tones and worn leather to summer heat and physical collapse. There is a sense of things slowly breaking down throughout the track, while the arrangement keeps pushing forward. The repetition becomes part of the appeal, giving “Derelict Crawl” a hypnotic quality without stripping away its urgency.
What makes the single particularly interesting is how it balances weight with restraint. The guitars carry plenty of density, but quieter sections create room for the song to breathe before the heavier elements return. It gives the track a push-and-pull dynamic that keeps things engaging without overcomplicating the formula.
According to vocalist and guitarist Alex Riggen, the band repeatedly returned to “Derelict Crawl” when deciding which song should introduce the new album. That makes sense because the single manages to showcase some of Lions and Ore’s heavier and more repetitive qualities while keeping plenty of the album’s wider character under wraps.
And there is clearly more to come. Lions and Ore expands The House Flies’ post-punk and goth influences into longer, more patient arrangements, bringing together rural imagery, uneasy repetition and bigger changes in intensity. Across the seven tracks, recurring images of old houses, fields, heat, weather, sleep and gradual deterioration help shape the album’s atmosphere.
The record also marks an important chapter for the band, as it is the first full-length House Flies release to feature their current four-piece lineup of Alex Riggen, Burnie Eckhardt, Ozzie Woods and Nick Pompou. Burnie’s presence adds a second guitar to the lineup, further opening up the possibilities of the band’s sound.
For listeners drawn to post-punk, gothic rock, noise rock and darker alternative guitar music, “Derelict Crawl” offers a compelling introduction to this next era of The House Flies. It carries echoes of the genre’s darker traditions while maintaining the band’s own Midwestern sense of place and atmosphere.
Following the Glimmer EP, Mannequin Deposit and 2025’s “Sweet Foxhound,” the band is clearly building on their earlier work rather than simply repeating it. With “Lost Literature” set to follow as the second single on October 2, the road toward Lions and Ore is already beginning to take shape.
Lions and Ore arrives November 6 through Wilhelm & Sons Entertainment Company, with the album available on Bandcamp and major streaming platforms alongside a limited edition of 100 black vinyl copies. The House Flies will also mark the release with a show at Raccoon Motel in Davenport, Iowa, alongside The King of the Weirdos, Company Dimes and Halfloves.
“Derelict Crawl” does exactly what a first single should do: it opens the door without showing you the whole house. Dark, repetitive, guitar-heavy, and quietly unsettling, it leaves just enough mystery around Lions and Ore to make the full journey worth anticipating.
The House Flies make repetition feel hypnotic on ‘Derelict Crawl’
