WELCOME to Noise Annoys, which comes to you today courtesy of The Week From Hell.
Along with one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in quite some time and the loss of Sir Roger of Moore (always my favourite Bond), the past six days have also found me dealing with the 'delights' of a semi-squashed cat (currently recovering from a hit-and-run-induced fractured pelvis) and the sudden death of an old friend.
It's all left me at a considerably low ebb, but thankfully Belfast's Hornets have been on hand to ease the existential misery with the cathartic crushing sonic embrace of their debut album Witch Hunt, out now on 'toxic yellow vinyl' wrapped in nightmarish hand-drawn artwork courtesy of Solid Choice Industries as well as your basic vanilla download.
Now well established as purveyors of grade-A sludgy punk/metal howling, this lot – throat-stripping vocalist Rich Stuart, guitar abuser Andy Shields, bass batterer Craig McCloskey and drum destroyer Rich McAuley – are just as adept at spraying listeners with fast 'n' furious thrashy pummel as delivering doses of prowling, doomy groove and laying out snarling stretches of slo-mo creepy-crawl.
Hornets manage to expertly smash these idioms together on the likes of LP highlights One of Us, Harvest, Threads, Hikikomori, Sink Swim and crushing album finale Horro Vacui, with the result that Witch Hunt can only be described as 34 minutes of Weapons Grade Bad Mood Music.
Crank it loud until you feel better, or the ceiling collapses – whichever occurs soonest. Find out at Hornets.bandcamp.com.
Onwards to the multi-day Co Down music extravaganza better known as Sunflowerfest, which has just announced its 'second wave' of additions for this year's festival bill at Tubby's Farm outside Hillsborough between July 28 and 30.
Dance act Crazy P will be bringing their internationally renowned Crazy P Soundsystem to the festival alongside previously announced acts like Rubberbandits, Ryan Vail, Le Galaxie, King Kong Company, Malojian, R51 and Beans on Toast.
Other newly announced musical additions to Sunflowerfest 2017 include NASA Assassin, Screaming Eagles, Magwere, Beauty Sleep, Hiva Oa, The Winachi Tribe, Monkeeman, Amy Montgomery, The Gilded Thieves, Cado, The Hardchargers, The Unholy Gospel Band, Zaska, Jamie Stanton, Beach, The Barbiturates and Suspect.
Weekend-camping tickets for Sunflowerfest start from £64.95, available via Sunflowerfest.co.uk.
Finally, a reminder that Belfast indie unit Sea Pinks have a new album out this very day: you can listen to the nu-skiffle sounds of the title track, Watercourse, in its jangle-popping entirety right now at Soundcloud.com/cf-records/sea-pinks-watercourse, while the limited vinyl version of the album can be purchased from all good record shops (and likely some mediocre and downright crap ones too) or online via Seapinks.bandcamp.com.
Readers within striking distance of Dublin will be able to see Niall, Steven and Davey playing live tonight at The Grand Social for a special album launch show featuring support from September Girls and Cat Palace.
Belfast fans will get similar treatment (support is Oh Boland and others 'tbc') at The Black Box on June 17 once the trio have performed other scheduled concerts in that London and throughout continental Europe.
Full Watercourse review coming at you sooner rather than later.
THIS WEEKS MOST ANNOYING NOISES
Hands All Over – Soundgarden
The Saturn Superstition – Part Chimp
Executioner's Tax, Swing of The Axe – Power Trip
The Riff Holds Sway – Triggerman
Horro Vacui – Hornets
Not Gonna Kill You – Angel Olsen
Nature Boy – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Tired as Feck – The Staves
Playin' For Pride – Sea Pinks
French Press – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
