‘Shovel time into the furnace, Human fuel keeps it burning, Ground down to dust, the cogs turn, You can never stop the turn’ (Churn)

Histamine have been a little quiet since their  2020 self-titled 7-inch.  But they are back, and have no doubt, their debut album, Quality Of Life, is an absolute bruiser.  The Sydney band marshal slabs of hypnotic groove and plenty of spiteful stomp into a bulldozer of an onslaught.  The hefty reverb drenched riffage jousts with the equally muscular, echo-infused vocals as they dive into the anxiety, isolation, and sheer desperation born of our ever more atomised times.  And then, in an unexpected turn, crystalline melancholic leads and spiralling, metallic-leaning solos – the closer to It’s Not Hot is a particular banger – cut through with a piercing clarity.

The eight tracks are absolutely packed with drama.  From the barrelling breakdown of Weeding Out to the insidious melody braided through Links To The Chain, and from the bass fuelled venom of Perceived Reality to the melodic flourishes that prime the roared finale to Gold Tools, there is no quarter is shown.  And, quite frankly, you won’t be asking for any either.