Right now there is a mini noise-punk movement going on in underground rock. Many bands are discovering the joys of turning up the volume and feedback and getting loud and weird. But as with any movements, some bands do it better than others.

For the record, Reno,Nevada’s Elephant Rifle are one of the better noisy punk bands currently blasting their screeds in the underground. Unlike some of their contemporaries, they have a few key qualities that separate them from the pack. Of course, they are loud and aggressive, but they also have songwriting smarts. They know how to vary the tempos and moods for maximum impact. In addition, the songs have a certain unseemly quality that is hard to fake.

“Bone Voyage” features churning and propulsive rhythms to go along with the corrosive riffs. “Rasputin” mines the quieter/loud dynamic to great effect. “Frank, Black” veers into doom metal territory, with a sawed-off Black Sabbath-worthy riff and more deliberate tempos. “Gold Standard” picks up the pace a bit and is fast and urgent, while “Dogs Wolves Wolverines” is a straight-up under-two-minutes noisy hardcore burner. Closer “Horse” is a dirge that starts out quiet and mournful, gets really loud before, becomes quiet again, and then finally goes for broke at its finish. It’s quite a way to end the album.

You get the complete package with this band. You have the attitude and volume, along with great songs played with gusto and, of course, they capture a certain weird vibe quite well. There will be some noise punk releases that get more attention and hype this year, but don’t sleep on this one, as it’s well worth your time.

(Humaniterrorist Record Collective/Gentlemen Friends, no address provided)