Enola Gay - Casement EP

If 2021 debut EP 'Gransha' was a crash course in all that we thought we knew about Belfast's Enola Gay, 'Casement' represents a complete reimagining of these exciting noise punks.

The first half of this four-song EP is traditional punk. Perilous and impatient, the band give you no choice but to sit up and listen. The driving drum rhythm and thick bassline of opening track 'Leeches' is matched by Fionn Reilly's spat-out, reverb-heavy vocals, splicing together the visceral anger of punk with the bare-knuckled lyricism of American hip-hop. 'PTS.DUP' is a searing call to arms, built for the fiercely sweaty gigs Enola Gay have become famous for, carrying with it an arena-filling swagger that stakes their claim for world domination.

What comes next is, at the very least, unexpected. The rage of the first half makes way for a sense of resignation. 'terra' sees the band explore traditional Irish folk with a stripped-back performance combining sombre-yet-soothing vocals with dreamlike acoustic guitar. Final track, 'firma', a collaboration with Belfast-based DJ Mount Palomar, presents a dark, brooding, jungle version of the previous track.

This EP is nothing short of audacious. It punches you repeatedly in the face before stitching up the wounds and running you a hot bath. Confident and composed, snarling yet shimmering, this is punk dragged kicking and screaming into 2023.