The best records will either break your heart and having you sobbing for days, or they will melt your face and burst your eardrums. TheBigHell record will do the latter, and it will do it in the most brutal and best way possible.

Their debut record, Horrendous Friends came out on Friday. I can confirm that the best way to listen to this record is at the gym, and lifting weights that are heavier than you intended to lift. Does my body feel broken? Yes. Will I do it again? Yes. This is no “new year, new me” nonsense. This is the band that are going to soundtrack my gym time, which is the only time my brain shuts off! It’s such an exceptional record, and if you like your music intense and possibly louder than your ears can handle- then this is the record for you.

11 songs in under half an hour. Bliss. The whole record absolutely rips, and in some parts the record reminds me a little of Heavy Lungs with hints of JOHN and METZ, which is pretty much ideal. It’s an intense record, and that intensity is what lures you in. You’re curious as to what the hell is going on. I’ve played it a lot of times since Friday, and I can’t tell you what’s going on, but I can tell you that this record will leave a lasting impact. For me, even though my brain does need and want quiet; the comfort I find in bands like this is probably why I’ll never know quiet! From the Intro right into Rich Lads, and smack into This Hell- the record is just loud punchy anthem after another. There’s no relaxed moments on this record at all; this is one for playing dead loud wherever you can. Whenever you can. It’s a record that is probably best experienced live, but you can hear on record just how exceptional it is. The production is a solid 10/10. Best band from the Midlands right now? No denying that.

Lip Service Puppy is another ripper of a song; it feels like someone is drilling into your skull and whatever escapes is just launching itself at the ground. It’s one of those songs that feels like a bit of a meltdown, and by that, I mean you can picture it being used in a film where a character just loses their shit and this song is playing in the background, and it gets louder and louder. It’s one to drown out the noise to in a short amount of time. Tell Ya Wha and Am I Alive are also the band at their best. There’s only 3 of them in the band, and they sound louder and bigger than a band with only 3 of them in. I think that’s how you know they are doing something right.

The title track is the one for me (right now) it’s 5 and bit minutes of insane build-ups, shouting and just general wonderful noise. I think this is the one that’s the most intense live, you can just feel it. The last 2 minutes or so of it are wild, and you feel like you’re being catapulted all over the place. I think that’s part of the charm with this record- you have no idea what’s going to happen next or where you’ll end up. That unknown is what keeps you hooked on this record. You can have it on repeat for days, but there’s part of you that doesn’t know what’s about to happen.

This is one of the most exciting records around, and it reminds me of listening to bands like Bruise Control and Table Scraps for the very first time. You know you’re listening to something really special and unlike anything you’ve heard before. Your ears may be crying out for a rest, but don’t listen to it. Just play these songs loud- you’ll get used to it soon enough.