Kal Marks, Lung Letters, Exhalants

Following debut excoriation Life Is Murder (2013) and double-down Life Is Alright, Everybody Dies (2016), the Loudest Band in Boston™ (according to NPR) leavens its thundering post-punk on Universal Care. Progressive deconstructionism still rules the roost, but Carl Shane’s godless shrieks of protest and wit temper the trio’s blood curdling crescendo for nuances such as shoegaze on lead single “Adventure.” Combined with a pair of Scratch Acid takers in Austin’s Lung Letters and Exhalants, brace for deafness. – Raoul Hernandez