Gods and Queens

This experimental trio's debut is thick with reverb and layered with effects in homage to '90s noise rock, and yet melody is still not lost on them. Substantiated by nostalgia, drawing quick comparisons to Quicksand and Fugazi while they admittedly channel Unwound, Gods and Queens' seven untitled songs explore an array of effects and rhythms while giving the pounding basslines a central role. Track 2's melodicism and Track 3's austerity are early standouts. The record ultimately smolders, but the conspicuously droning, nearly 10-minute closer makes for a puzzling end.