Info: THUMPER are a noise-pop quintet from Dublin, delivering bubblegum pop through a wall of sonic death. With a reputation for raucous and frenzied live shows, a debut EP full of lo-fi ear worms (think Sonic Youth vs Abba), and penchant for howling feedback and pounding double-drums, this is a band u'll love 2 love.
Opening with the ridiculously perfect 'Rent Is Due', THUMPER's latest EP, Magnum Opuss is like a carefully aimed arrow successfully directed to the lo-fi garage bulls-eye that is my musical heart. In an earlier review of the single I observed that; 'The dizzying and unbridled chaos of distorted guitars and vocals coupled with commanding and manic drumming throw you into the best of Seattle grunge and fuzzed out lo-fi rock n' roll...with their trademark sonic ear-bleeding, (this is) quality stuff from an exhilarating act.'
Second track 'Dan The Man' proves the lead single was no flash in the pan. There's a more Californian flavour on this one, and it somehow resides in the middle of Beck's Mellow Gold and Odelay, think 'Loser' morphing into 'Devil's Haircut'. Yet it's not just standalone fuzzed out lo-fi, acknowledgement must be firmly given to the glorious lead-guitar bends and riffs from 1:37 on.
'A Minute For Smith' makes abandon an inadequate word with shortcomings, guitars and drums flail in a mental frenzy, it's only just over one minute long, but the duration is nailed on, usually I'd complain when a piece of music I enjoy is too short, but this makes sense, hardcore punk with brevity should be short and snappy and THUMPER have taken that maxim and snapped it in half.
With final track 'Chimera' I'm all Nirvana Unplugged in New York, all the way up to the 32nd second, then it's 'Hi Kurt, bye Kurt', the band get more earnest here to a degree, there's more focus on passing on the message that, yes, they're here to have fun, but they take what they're doing quite seriously. It's hard not to conclude that if the five-piece were shorn of even just one of their members the music would not work as well as it does here. It's easy to conclude however, that few bands will release a better EP than Magnus Opuss this year.
THUMPER play The Workman's Club on Friday, 1st of July with support from Handsome Eric and Walpurgis Family.
Like & Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellothumper
Bandcamp: http://thumpermusic.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thumper666
