MILK BATH • S/T • LP

World of Hurt Records 

The ever fertile and abundant Bay Area punk scene has again yielded gold. The Oakland-based punks collectively known as Milk Bath recently dropped a stunner of an LP via World of Hurt Records (US) and Different Kitchen Records (UK).

Composed of members of No///Se and Glass and Ashes, Milk Bath finds the peak of their powers synthesized squarely at the midpoint of the two. The ripping post-punk hardcore of the former is still embedded deeply in their DNA, as is the reckless cacophony of the aforementioned Glass and Ashes, whose two stellar No Idea Records releases are criminally slept on.

As if a the meeting of two poles, they manage to marry ambitious and wiry discord to something a bit more pummeling. Much like one time label mates Planes Mistaken for Stars, there’s a primal edge to their murky and sludgy take on punk that adds an extra layer of malice and urgency. Sound good? It should! Let’s hop in. 

The center of their thrilling Venn diagram is a fluid and trademark sound that enthralls across the full long player but, for our purposes, is best typified by the Song of the Day. As sadly poignant as ever, the pointed missive that is “Bootlicking 101” is a highlight among many.

Built around an absolute scorcher of a riff that knows its way around the Drive Like Jehu discography, the balance between off-kilter post-punk and aggressive USHC punk is deftly navigated. It’s at once off-kilter and driving, keeping a disaffected streak throughout the song’s runtime.