Glasgow’s At War With False Noise kills it with this gnarly release. I was worried when I saw two Black Flag covers bookending the split – do yourself a favor and, if you’ve got the same thought, put it on hold. Not only are these covers some of the best in recent years, but, more importantly, the original tracks are ghastly good.

The split opens with Satan’s Satyrs‘ version of “Modern Man”, and grime coats every second of the damn track: the vocals strained and psychotic and gritty bass dominates the mix, while shining pillars of feedback cut through it all. The track falls into that familiar Sabbath-esque rift, all the more menacing in the hands of these fellahs – and before you know it, you’re tossed into the boogie-beat of “Was Ya Expectin’ Us?”. True surf twang pierces the shifty groove and spry drumbeat; the drums spurt out one final fill before the guitar lands perfectly off-kilter and the whole thing keels over, and all 4 songs flow perfectly while brandishing a full range of styles.

Ohmwar wastes no time, loosing seething wolves to drag you from the dunes to the forest. “Snake” crashes into you like a falling pine, and the track is midnight black though-and-through. Heaving, grunting vocals roll off of dark melodic riffs, coil around banshee-wailing feedback before everything fades to the sound of rain on leaves. And just as the silence creeps in, Ohmwar comes back swingin’ with their version of “Nervous Breakdown”, chock full of drooling, hacking vocals and blistering guitars. Their cut is ultra-pissed – fiercer than the original – and collapses unflinchingly into a manic rant just within earshot.

Get on over to the At War With False Noise bandcamp and snatch a copy, and be sure to keep up with their blog here.