Rallying done right - the strength of Maruja's 'Pain to Power'.

Album cover for 'Pain to Power'

Ever genre-shifting (closest aligned to post-rock), Mancunian band Maruja released their long-awaited debut album Pain to Power. Pain to Power (PtP) is a culmination of the band’s established image over the decade they’ve been around; powerful and loud, yet often reflective and beautiful. This album continues that and addresses the listener directly, speaking on world problems, western society and calling on people to make a change. These themes are accompanied by amazing rock instrumentals with their signature saxophone inclusion.

Maruja's instrumentals are excellent across the board in this album. Though some tracks are clearly a little better in that aspect than others, they accompany the lyrical content incredibly. A true standout for me is 'Zaytoun', which is purely a freestyled instrumental piece. In this song, Maruja are almost showing off their talent; building atmosphere and delivering a satisfying crescendo. Their saxophone shines again and again across PtP, enhancing already good tracks. Whether it’s in 'Saoirse', where the sax has a beautiful solo at the beginning to lead into the main track, or in 'Trenches', where it plays almost dissonantly to create discomfort, it adds so much. This alone sets them apart from other bands in similar genres for me.

“Blood calls blood, will we ever bleed enough?” the intro track ‘Bloodsport’ chants; asserting their bold lyrical content. Maruja make light of world atrocities (particularly genocides), the damage of late-stage capitalism and the role the common person plays in this. But, as the album is titled, they take the pain these things have caused and explore how we ended up here, then using them as a rallying call to inspire change and movement. For me they do this very well, speaking with anger and nuance, often shouting to get the point across further. No song showcases this better than ‘Look Down On Us’, a 10 minute track split into 2 parts, exploring the violence and evil in the world in the first half then reminding us to love one another in the second half.

Overall, PtP is one of the strongest albums I’ve heard released in 2025. It is an amazing listening experience and provides great songs to listen to in isolation. Though its 50 min length may serve as a weakness for some who may find it to drag on slightly, I loved its pace, content, and the thoughtful moments it provides. I find myself returning to one of the lead singles ‘Saoirse’ for that introduction, and ‘Bloodsport’ for the fantastic lyrics. I Highly recommend.

★★★★⯪