Zoe Lollis, lead growler/agitator for these art-damaged sludge-punks from South Carolina, takes no prisoners and no shit as she unleashes monstrous roars and sarcastic high-pitched squeals at the type of people who would try to keep the disenfranchised in their place. Whether she’s taking on the patriarchy, materialism, or even abuse, she does this is in a very direct and confrontational way. The same can be said about the music that goes along with her screeds, as the rest of the band unleashes an off-kilter and aggressive mixture of punk, hardcore, sludge, and noise, which hits like a punch to the gut. (There are also a couple of tracks that are basically stripped down and dark Americana, but more on those later.) It’s quite the visceral experience.

“Selfish Friend” and “Empty Eyes” provide a strong two-song combo to start the album, with their circular, sludgy riffs, throaty growls, and Lollis’s high-pitched mocking tone which makes an appearance on the latter song. “Dig A Little Deeper” starts quiet and then goes on the attack and finishes with a spoken word segment, which takes on looksism. “Abandoned” is a doom crawl, complete with swirling guitars, and “In A Shallow Grave” jacks up the pace and aggression to a whole new level. “Golden Gates, Golden Streets” sludges it up good, while railing against materialism and shopping malls.

In addition, there are a couple of musical detours in the form of “Materialist Conspiracy Theorist” and “Liar,” which are stripped down acoustic tunes, that just feature a banjo and Lollis’s voice. Despite the lessening of amplification, both these tunes hit just as hard as anything else on the record. They are very dark, passionate, and harrowing.

This debut release proves that there are still punk bands out there that not only find interesting ways to communicate their message sonically, but also lyrically, too. If you are a fan of the more adventurous side of punk rock, then you should have a field day with this record. But even if you’re not, there is still much to recommend on this excellent first album.

(At A Loss Recordings, no address provided)