Die! Die! Die!

This first full-length from New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die! is a shattered, angular masterpiece of animal instincts and serrated edges. Frenzied energy bleeds out of each song as the album churns and whirls so fast you can almost smell the sweat that went into making it. With Die! Die! Die!, art punk sensibilities melt into tinges of thrash while recalling scuffed up garage punk aesthetics. The result is something driven and dour, full of a startling brutality that is seductively aggressive and expressive all at once. One of the more striking tracks is "Shyness Will Get You Nowhere,” which starts out as a ballad then implodes into a fragmented, jilted ride. The unpredictability factor is part of Die! Die! Die!’s appeal and there is no shortage of it here. Spastic and flailing, this full-length grips tight and doesn’t let go, letting every jerk and shove sink in just long enough to leave a mark.