Pendulum Inertia

Pendulum became one of Australia’s biggest musical exports in the mid-2000s, with the Perth act’s shapeshifting electronic rock playing especially well in the UK and US. But co-founding members Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen began devoting increasing time to their more dance-oriented duo, Knife Party. Partly for that reason, Inertia is the first Pendulum album in 15 years. It’s also not entirely new, since half of the tracklist is derived from 2021’s Elemental and 2023’s Anima EPs. Yet, that existing material slots in naturally, showcasing a band that remains hungry to explore new sounds. A handful of savvy collabs help to accomplish that, thanks to Bullet for My Valentine’s screamo influence on “Halo” and Joey Valence & Brae’s rap-rock flirtations on “Napalm”. Pendulum also circle back to several eras of their own career, with the opening “Driver” embracing rollercoaster EDM mechanics and blockbuster drum ’n’ bass breaks. “Archangel” hews closer to classic synth-pop, while “Colourfast” flirts with hyperpop and lead single “Save the Cat” sees the typically controlled Swire let loose with big, dramatic screams. Hard-hitting yet melodically rich, this feels like a hearty summation of the band’s discography—albeit peppered with tantalising tastes of possible future directions.