Lyrically, too, frontman Dave Cavaliers has had a lot to ruminate on, watching white nationalists storm Capitol Hill or clashing with Black Lives Matter protestors, all the while the 1 per cent profit by keeping the vortex of ignorant and outrage spinning. ‘Ocean, a sea of lonely whites / Puppets, the cog in their own blight,’ laments Dave as a twitchy, bluesy groove keeps the tension wound to breaking point.
Meanwhile, Death Grip takes aim at funeral home directors who exploit vulnerable families. If Dave’s ire here feels like targeting a middle management grim reaper, the song’s delicious stoner riff saves it from po-faced griping. You can also hear fellow Baltimorean Shawna Potter of War On Women relish her choruses as an avenging angel.
Occasionally, Dark Waves sags under the weight of its own seriousness and heavy-footed pace, but once caught in its atmospheric undertow you will find it hard to escape.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Boss Keloid, Kyuss
Dark Waves is released on May 27 via Heavy Psych Sounds