Tunic

Reviews

Tunic Wrong Dream LP

I don’t think TUNIC has the roar or bluster of the noisiest noise rock. Under the screech and scream of the guitars are some almost emo/post-hardcore rhythms of the bass and drums, more FUGAZI than PISSED JEANS. But when there is dissonance, it’s used to great effect. It pushes against the catchier parts to create a disturbing, unsettling feel. This really shows on songs like “Disease” and “Protected,” which feature sharp, siren-like guitar sounds over a steadier, easier bass line. This record sounds intentional without being over-baked or clunky.

Tunic Quitter LP

Mean-spirited and frequently atonal noise rock from these Winnipeg crushers. For fans of TRIGGER CUT and TONGUE PARTY, this record features extremely tight rhythms with frequent time changes, filthy bass tones, and math-inspired dissonant guitars. The vocals veer from sardonic spoken verses to screamed parts. There is quite a bit of instrumental complexity happening in these tracks, and TUNIC creates an unending sense of tension and unease. Take the alternating feedback tones of “Stuck,” or the plodding start/stop bass lines of “Fake Interest.” The refrain of “Pattern Fixation” probably says it best: “This is filth / This is filth.” If you like unpleasant, pessimistic noise punk, you’ll be into this.

Tunic Exhaling LP

Discography collection, or close enough to it for the sake of argument, from this Winnipeg trio. TUNIC plays—has played—various iterations of noise rock over the six years covered by Exhaling, which begins with the band’s three newest songs: “Fade Out” has me thinking of a Deathwish Records version of SWIZ, for better or worse. The scrabbly, jerky guitar style of their earlier releases, such as the Disappointment 7″, are agreeable enough, but TUNIC seems to have really hit their stride on 2019 album Complexion, with its big UNSANE-like walls of noise. There’s a whole new LP due this autumn and I’d be satisfied with a bit more of that and not too much concern about “progression,” whatever that is.