Energy Whores Drop a Wake-Up Call on “Arsenal of Democracy”

It’s beautiful how there’s music for everyone and sometimes even everyone ends up enjoying them. Thing is you can never dislike a song of you haven’t listened to it deeply or experience what it talks about. But when it’s a universal theme, then it’s something everyone can enjoy. So if you’re looking for a nice, quiet album about sunshine and rainbows, Energy Whores is definitely not for you. This New York City duo just dropped “Arsenal of Democracy“, and it feels like a cold bucket of water to the face. The band Led by Carrie Schoenfeld—who is a classically trained pianist and an Off-Broadway producer—the band makes what they call “avant electro.” It’s basically dance music for people who are worried about the end of the world.

Carrie doesn’t write love songs. She writes what she calls “warning signs.” The album came out on January 9, 2026, and it’s a weird, catchy mix of EDM, synth-pop, and punk-rock attitude. It’s the kind of music you can dance to, but if you actually listen to the words, you might start looking for the nearest exit.

What makes this album interesting is how they have been able to blend some emotions and words that are like warnings, yet the beats lets you enjoy yourself in atmosphere where problems don’t exist. But the moment it hits you deep, the lyrics let’s you know all the problems surrounding you. That mix is what makes it unique.

Now the album opens with “Hey Hey Hate!“, a track which tackles how people are being manipulated to stay angry at each other. It’s got a great beat, but the lyrics are pretty blunt. The title track, “Arsenal of Democracy“, follows up with a tense rhythm that feels like a clock ticking down. Then comes in “Pretty Sparkly Things“. This is a clever dig at how we all get distracted by shiny new toys while the world is falling apart. Then there is “Mach9ne”, a track that looks at how AI and technology are starting to take over everything. It’s followed by “Bunker Man“, a dark, funny song about billionaires hiding in their luxury basements while the rest of us deal with the mess above ground.

The mood gets even heavier with “Two Minutes to Midnight“. It’s not a metaphor; it’s literally about the threat of nuclear war. There isn’t any fluff or flowery language here—just a very direct “we might be in trouble” message.

“Little Pill” looks at how we medicate ourselves to deal with the stress of modern life, while “Electric Friends” dives into the loneliness of only hanging out with people through a screen. I believe y’all know this track already as we covered it sometime ago. “Speedo Boys Drone” is just as strange and interesting as the name suggests, and the album wraps up with “King Orange“, a track that takes a swing at authoritarian power. Yes this is something that we face everywhere, at the work place the moment something’s wrong from the boss end, who dare talks about it, cos in the end he’s gonna flex his boss muscles on you and either find a way to make the work uninteresting for you.

Energy Whores managed to record this in a DIY basement studio, and that raw, gritty feeling comes through. Carrie’s vocals are expressive and bold, and Attilio Valenti’s guitar work adds a nice rock edge to the electronic beats. To me “Arsenal of Democracy” is a bold record that refuses to play it safe. In a world where most pop music is about nothing, Energy Whores is trying to talk about everything. It’s smart, it’s angry, and it’s actually really fun to listen to if you’ve got a sense of humor about the apocalypse.

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