When Death Stuff released their demo earlier this year, it revealed a group of young scene veterans shying away from the shadows cast by their other projects in order to pursue a darker, noisier sound. Consisting of Lloyd Wingard (ex-Lucy Dreams) on bass and vocals, Trevor Vick (ex-Street Violence) on guitar, and Jacob Armando (Twin Studies) on drums, the post-punk trio concocted a clamorous brew of tough, abrasive riffs and withering grooves that largely avoided the garage rock and shoegaze trappings the members had previously been known for. Overall, it was a fraught, anxious, angry record with hooks buried deep in the din.
With “Surprise Ex,” the first single from the group’s upcoming self-titled full length, Death Stuff maintain the messy tumult of their demo while simultaneously clearing away some of the clutter that made portions of their debut feel disjointed. For a track this breakneck, there’s a remarkable amount of space for Wingard to maneuver his frenzied yowls and for Vick to unleash his serrated riffs and jarring noise punk squalls. The result is a blistering, surprisingly tuneful single that claws, kicks, and seethes, but never falls off the rails. Calling anything this band does “polished” is likely doing them a disservice, but there’s no denying they sound sharper and more calculating at every turn.
Listen below.
Death Stuff’s self-titled full-length debut is due out this fall via Monofonus Press.
More Info
Bandcamp: deathstuff.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @deathstuffatl