Over the last several years, Toxic State Records has done its part to define the NYC punk scene, putting out records from some of the city’s best and buzziest bands. While not every release has been a classic, there have been some essential records in their catalog — the two Hank Wood And The Hammerheads LPs come to mind immediately. mommy’s follow up to their solid demo is lightyears beyond that tape, and the most essential Toxic State record in a long time. mommy is a trio comprised of members of L.O.T.I.O.N. and Perdition, among others, and plays music that is very hard to peg. The closest thing that comes to mind is Death Church era Rudi Peni, albeit made far more abrasive and less melodic, with some Japanese noise punk-like riffs thrown into the mix. Both drumming and vocal delivery are remarkably frantic, the latter highlighting the intensity of the lyrical content. The overall product is made all the more anguished and unnerving through the heavy use of audio samples pertaining to suicide attempts. The EP’s closing track, “Nursery Rhyme,” is its highlight, and shows that punk can still be provocative and powerful, with audio samples sandwiching a drum-led track that breaks down into skips and then guitar feedback before resurrecting.