Post-punk, new wave band The Bravery storms back onto the dancehall scene with its junior release, “Stir the Blood.” The band stylistically reverts to its self-titled debut as well as the glory days of bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order and Joy Division — three groups known for their affinity for melodramatics.

The Bravery’s guitar-laden sophomore release, “The Sun and the Moon,” was something of a synthesizer rehab for the group. The band clearly didn’t succeed. They fall back into an overabundance of dance-worthy synth in this release. But lead singer Sam Endicott acknowledged prior to the release that this album would embrace a much darker tone.

The track “Song for Jacob” kicks off with psychedelic synth riffs reminiscent of freshman album staple “Unconditional.” The song pushes forward with a toxic addictiveness that seeps deep into listeners’ ears and festers. Endicott shrieks in his whining drawl, “I never, ever want to sleep again / I want to live till I die.”

Audiences may initially think they are listening to a “Shut Up and Drive” Rihanna remix when first hearing “I’ve Seen the Future.” The band uses laser shots and interspersed synthetic pulses to shock the listener during the demoralizing anthem. The band plays prophet as it predicts man’s ultimate demise by commanding, “Raise a glass in salutation / We drink to our annihilation.”

The album falters when it reaches “She’s so Bendable,” a track that features the vocals of bassist Mike “Dirt” Hindert, and the final track “Sugar Pill.” These two songs adhere to the album’s theme of sex and drugs but interrupt the bombastic spirit that dominates the album. The band could have saved the two tracks as B-sides and given the fans something with the ferocity showcased throughout the remainder of the album.

“Jack-O’-Lantern Man” is the most enticing song on “Stir the Blood” and is a mosh enthusiast’s dream come true. The track assaults the listener and provokes retaliation, inspiring a deep-seated hatred for the foolish semantics of life. Drums and vocals screech forward in one overwhelming tsunami of emotional destruction.

“Stir the Blood” is a thematically cohesive album that lacks variation and creative experimentation among songs. Nonetheless, it’s another solid album from The Bravery that chronicles a scandalous existence plagued by sex, anger and over-the-counter meds.