Lump Hammer – ‘Beast’
Lump Hammer are a Tyneside (UK) trio with many fingers in the sludge-rock pie and a maximalist/minimalist approach of overwhelming guitar/drums/vox and bloody-minded musical stasis that has seen them perform two hour sets of just one, obliterating song. Purveyors of repetition and compositional claustrophobia matched with dense, fat-bottomed volume.
Lip Critic – ‘Lip Critic II’
Heavily influenced by visual and performance art, New York’s Lip Critic is an electronic punk band comprised of two drummers, two samplers, and vocals. The group formed in New York in 2018 and released an EP (Kill Lip Critic) as well as a myriad of singles throughout 2019. “Lip Critic II” is the debut full length album from the group. The album follows the narrative of an alien abductee after they have been returned to earth, and being unable to readjust to normal life.
TRVSS – ‘New Distances’
Looking for noise-rock to cut through the film of dusty ear-drums like a straight razor? Well, TRVSS (pronounced ‘truss’) has your number. The Pittsburgh, USA trio cut through the bullshit with post-hardcore propulsion. Sophomore effort, New Distances, as understatements go, is tightly wound. The single, “Malaria,” which features fellow Pittsburgher Eli Kasan of Sub Pop’s The Gotobeds on backing vocals, is wonderfully thrashy and digs into the skin like so many nails and shrapnel shot from homemade bombs.