Ewwwphoria
Self-Released, 2025
9/10
A noise/punk outfit from Seattle, Death Spa are spearheaded by Mia-Rose Malone, who, along with Levi Fuller and Jonathan Rodriguez, fleshes out a rhythmic and intense debut album.
The hard hitting “Make It Hurts” starts the listen with Rodriguez’s abrasive drumming alongside Malone’s throaty voice and plenty of chaotic rumbling, and “Drill The Corpse Lobe” follows with Fuller’s thick bass lines and Malone’s swirling guitar that suits the thundering drums and hardcore climate.
The onslaught doesn’t stop for the middle spots, where the fragmented “Body Horror” shouts and buzzes, while “Blues Skies And Golden Sunshine All Along The Way” pounds amid some animated sax bouts from Skerik for a bizarre punk-jazz explosion.
“The Cyst” and “Escape From Kirkland” exit the record. The former showcases a fierce density of calculated noise-rock with some softer ebbs, and the latter even lets melody seep in via the assault on the ears.
An effort that’s not for the faint of heart, Death Spa use harsh beats, prog-rock nods and even cello from Lori Goldston for this pummeling noise-punk adventure.
Travels well with: Horsefight- Volunteer; The Blasts- The Blasts