Browsing Tag

Noise Rock

Insomnia – Fleabag: Demonically Distorted No-Wave Grunge

Posted on 15 October 2024

Insomnia’s latest onslaught, ‘Fleabag’, is a ferocious synthesis of no-wave grunge and unrelenting hardcore punk rhythms. The standout on their LP ‘Idiosyncrasy‘, is a caustic celebration of noise, embodying the spirit of grunge pioneers with a fresh, chaotic twist. The guitars screech with electrifying distortion, while hardcore punk drums thrash out a beat that pummels listeners into submission, offering no respite from the band’s sonic fury.

In the eye of this storm are the vocals—raw, unfiltered, and dripping with disdain, they transmit a message of ‘we’re all mad here’ vindication for anyone wrestling with the chaos of the human psyche.

Undeniably, Insomnia, hailing from San Diego, has mastered the art of avant-garde obscurity. With the cultivated approach of Glenn Branca’s compositions fused with the brashy energy of Napalm Death, the breakthrough band injects listenability into their sound while ensuring their deliverances of no-wave are unfeigned, unfiltered and unafraid to descend into the sonic abyss. Imagine what Pavement would sound like if they were demonically possessed and you’ll get an idea of what is in store when you hit play.

Stream the Idiosyncrasy LP in full by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Atlanta duo, Piece, caused a new wave of noise rock to crash in with their debut EP

Posted on 29 June 2023

While some alternative acts can be accused of compromising on substance for an edge, the Atlanta-based duo Piece is far from guilty of this sonic sin in their latest single, star cunt.

The second single, taken from their debut EP, Piece Be with You, carved through the airwaves with the no-wave buzz saw riffs and revolutionary punk-rock attitude, which blew the dust off the mohawk-littered scene. Taking the foundations laid down by Sonic Youth and other noise rock pioneers, the off-kilter energy in star cunt is scintillatingly gloomy to the last distorted note.

Tayler Lee and Ty Varesi’s rebellious synergy has seen them become well-known on the Atlanta touring circuit. After the release of their EP, which would do Kathleen Hanna proud with the riotous proclamative vocals, their time to reign internationally supreme is now.

star cunt is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucas Kurmis – I Thought I Died: Alluringly Dark Avant-Garde

Posted on 29 December 2020
Lucas Kurmis

‘I Thought I Died’ is the forthcoming Avant-Garde Noise Folk Punk single from Plymouth-based artist Lucas Kurmis. It makes Sonic Youth sound tame.

It feels like somewhere along the way everyone forgot that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable, everyone apart from Lucas Kurmis. I Thought I Died is confrontational, abrasive, and utterly transfixing. The snarled spoken word vocals float over sporadic drum pounding and cymbal smashing, pulling the mix together is a sparse smattering of reverby electronic effect which nicely completes the minimalistic yet monumentally resounding single.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out I Thought I Died for yourselves. In the meantime, head over to SoundCloud to delve into their earlier releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Yellow Nymphos give us A Handful Of Something Sticky

Posted on 11 November 2020
https://yellownymphos.bandcamp.com/track/a-handful-of-something-sticky

Yellow Nymphos is Makain Wiginton (guitar, synths, vocals) and Calvin Brown (Bass, Vocals, Synths) from New Orleans – plus drums from ‘The Machine’, of course.

‘A Handful of Something Sticky’ is three minutes of dark, moody alt-rock from their ‘Crooked Inhale of The Bung Donkey’ album, all meandering bassline, deep-spoken vocals, and a ripped-speaker-cones-distortion of a guitar-part for the finale.

Released, appropriately, on Halloween, and coming on like tarmac jelly or jellybean-flavoured crisps, this is disturbing, unsettling indie for people who like their music just a little more left-field than the acres of generic, pseudo-alternative sanitization that passes for the majority of modern rock n’ roll.

‘A Handful Of Something Sticky’ might just possibly be the aural equivalent of waking up post-party to find one of your eyebrows has been shaved whilst you slept, but since when has that EVER been the sign of a bad thing?

Check out Yellow Nymphos on Bandcamp and Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

8udDha bl0od – Untitled 1123; J.:.22 15 jU57 .:.n 3XcU53:7h3 7R0U8l3 3XPl.:.n!ng 7H3 !n3vi7.:.8l3 !nn3f.:.8l3.:.17

Posted on 17 May 2020

As a pretty obsessive fan of Sonic Youth’s Confusion is Sex album, soaking up the discordant noisy angst in 8udDha bl0od’s immersively abrasive latest single was an aural trip which I’ll definitely be taking again.

Despite the harsh, almost guttural vocals and the arsenal of caustic experimentalism which was poured into Untitled 1123; J.:.22 15 jU57 .:.n 3XcU53:7h3 7R0U8l3 3XPl.:.n!ng 7H3 !n3vi7.:.8l3, there was still an adrenalizing sense of resilience and optimism which resonated within the deep bends of the Post Punk basslines and the cutting energy which spilt from the No-Wave guitars.

You can check out Untitled 1123; J.:.22 15 jU57 .:.n 3XcU53:7h3 7R0U8l3 3XPl.:.n!ng 7H3 !n3vi7.:.8l3 for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

8udDha bl0od – !n57.:.j.:.M: Di0nY5U5: Cinematically Dystopian Scuzz-Laden Psych Rock

Posted on 10 May 2020

!n57.:.j.:.M: Di0nY5U5 is the recently released cinematically dystopian single by Brighton-based musician 8udDha bl0od. At least, that’s how it starts.

As the aural doom starts to clear, the ring of the distorted guitars gets sharper while the energy in the mix amplifies through the tribally percussive beats which start to manifest in the mix.

With !n57.:.j.:.M: Di0nY5U5, 8udDha bl0od proved that harsh discordant psychedelic scuzz has always had the capacity to be entrancing. Who knew?

No one does progressive tracks like 8udDha bl0od. No matter how many times we delve into his Machiavellian ingenuity, we’re always left psyched. Pun intended.

You can listen to !n57.:.j.:.M: Di0nY5U5 for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast