Thetan Abysmal LP
Life ain’t easy for a two-piece band (I should know, I hung out with POPULATION REDUCTION for like a decade), but Nashville’s THETAN are absolutely making it work. This bass-and-drums duo offer up a grip of gnarly powerviolence-influenced tracks that alternately rage and sludge, highlighted by some remarkably nimble bass playing. The lyrics are super bleak, even for the genre—which is a plus in my book—and that desperation is conveyed very effectively by the frenzied vocals (Dino from DYSTOPIA-esque at times). It’s worth noting that this outer rim of this LP is etched, which is very cool indeed.