Trapdoor Fucking Exit

From the inspired, muted melodic style of the record’s opening track, "D.O.A.,” Trapdoor Fucking Exit prove themselves to be Drive Like Jehu reincarnated, delivering their third full-length with all the piss and vinegar of Jehu’s masterpiece, Yank Crime. Gritty guitar riffs lead an assault of heavy drumming paired with vocalist Henke Anderson’s shouted vocals, constantly bridging the gap between completely atonal and compellingly hooky. While some of the band’s songs bear more than a passing resemblance to Black Flag, with every track here clocking in at least four and a half minutes, the elements of 1980s hardcore that permeate the band’s sound are more relics in the background than worn-on-the-sleeve influences. Pushing their sound to the absolute limit on album closer "February Is Slow,” the band prove that they still have room to grow sonically, through the further exploration of dynamics and instrumental minimalism.