‘Overthinking a thing or two, Thinking my brain and body isn’t right for you, Maybe I might just be losing a screw, Or maybe I’m doing this cause you told me to’ (Confused)

Hailing from Leicester, Sex Germs’ debut full-length is an absolutely rollicking, genre-distorting ride.  Whiplash furiously melds the band’s hardcore punk base with crossover thrash eruptions, garage punk struts, and quirky art punk flourishes before unleashing crushing sludge-mired breakdowns.

Impressively, this febrile shapeshifting feels entirely organic.  In part, this reflects the off-kilter energy that burns throughout.  Equally integral are the irrepressible vocals that match the musical virtuosity step for step as they sweep from sarcasm dripping snarls to just shy of death metal growls, by way of exuberant yelps, without even a moment’s pause.

It won’t surprise that the lyrical themes are equally eclectic.  The pain of anxiety, sexual aggression, the pressure to have children, and the joys of a good veggie lasagne (although the inclusion of aubergines is not without controversy) are all handled with acerbic relish.  The savage oscillations of Choke and the woozily grunge fuelled Drive capture the chameleon essence perfectly.