Self-released – Release Date: 6/11/21

Earlier this month, Meat Wave released a six-song EP, titled Volcano Park. Despite their last full-length being released over four years ago, the band has returned sounding as angst-filled and inspired as ever. The first song, “Tugboat,” begins with a foreboding riff and a marching rhythm. An instrumental bridge emerges that aggressively thrashes between chords and slyly finds its way to a shouted chorus. The song culminates with an incendiary ending that accentuates the drumming of Ryan Wizniak. The next entry, “For Sale,” exudes old school Chicago punk, mixed with a hint of surf rock. It’s not unlike Naked Raygun, but Meat Wave definitely puts their own distinctive stamp on the style.

“Yell at the Moon” opens with a discreet intro that explodes into a seriously badass riff. Here, the whole band is working together, like a true power trio, to generate a ton of noise. The vocals of singer/guitarist Chris Sutter sound somewhat imposing, thanks in part to a burly, stomping rhythm. The song continues to intensify until the epic riff returns and the band lets loose. Sutter justifiably exhibits a bit of swagger near the end, delivering several rock ‘n’ roll howls. The next track, “Truth Died,” changes things up with a spacey, alt-rock vibe. It seems likely that its lyrics reference the political climate in America during the last four years, and this matches the mood of the instrumentation extremely well.

The final song on Volcano Park, “Fire Dreams,” starts with a chugging rhythm that sounds like a slow-moving freight train. It plods along, anchored by bassist Joe Gac, before a pensive verse takes shape. The vocals are somewhat haunting and similar in tone to the two-note guitar riff. The middle section shifts and gets fairly quiet, as the band demonstrates their mastery of dynamics, before the song rises to the record’s most powerful and chaotic section. “Fire Dreams” is by all accounts a multi-layered entry and highly representative of the EP as a whole. The writing, performances and production of these songs are all spot-on, with Meat Wave sounding as though they’re poised to create something truly exceptional with their next album.