Australian punk is really hitting right now, with so many great bands to listen to it’ll make your head spin. Bands like HACKER, PHANTASM, ENZYME, VAMPIRE and NO FUTURE are making for a vibrant, diverse, and satisfyingly gnarly scene that deserves your attention.
This brings us to SHOVE, a band who regularly play shows alongside the aforementioned and whose wildly rabid single “Excess” from last year has had me eagerly awaiting more new music from the Melbourne based-band. Those desperately barked vocals and wild rubbery bass lines gave me instant stank-face, and today I’m happy to report that their new LP “Agency” provides 13 tracks (including “Excess”) of the same gut punching hardcore punk that got me hooked.
Opener “King Diamond” is a perfect example of what to expect from the proceedings, featuring more of the nasty bass mentioned earlier, alongside haywire guitar freakouts and powerhouse drumming that squares you up and bashes you in the jaw. This album is overwhelming in the best way possible, as each track has the same wound up momentum that that makes for a satisfyingly cohesive listen, all held together by lead singer Bella’s ferocious delivery that reminds me of Chicago’s STRESS POSITIONS. The album’s write up mentions that lyrically these are songs dealing with “a world ruled by revolting indifference and oppressive violence”, and while not always decipherable you can absolutely feel the frustration coming through the speakers.
Sonically some favorite moments include the mid-paced intro of “Fire”, the screeching fury of “Denial”, and closer “Bored”, which is surprisingly catchy and sees the bass and drums lock into MOTÖRHEAD-mode. All said though, I have to give my favorite track award to “T.D.T”, whose anxiety-inducing buildup rapidly morphs into a riff-heavy monster that had me banging my head with the same stank face that “Excess” gave me the first time I heard it.
So there you have it, another name to add to the ever-growing list of Aussie punk bands absolutely crushing it right now. If you’re able to, be sure to catch SHOVE live and in the meantime pick up “Agency”, available now through Drunken Sailor Records and Rack Off Records.
