Anthers

To say that Anthers makes “loud” music is an understatement. Since 2021, through headlining sets and as openers for bands like The Jesus Lizard, Brainiac, and Model/Actriz, the Seattle-based trio have earned a reputation for peeling the paint off the places they play. It’s the combination of sheer volume, dizzying visuals and pulse-pounding spirit — an assault on the senses in the best way possible.

On record, the trio’s 2024 debut EP, Pedigree Pig, encapsulates their fastidious approach to noise rock. Every single track, from the opening cataclysm of “Mabel” to the gatling chug of “ggbb,” is an exercise in controlled chaos, the band in total lockstep for each false start and sudden gutpunch. But the true way to experience Anthers is in person, where they render the EP’s lush carnage in visceral terms. Taylor Clark’s drums are tachycardiac, Kevin Blanquies drags his bass through a meat grinder of chained pedals, and vocalist/guitarist E.J. Tolentino plays the paranoid doomsayer at the eye of the storm. You go to an Anthers show to wash off life’s bullshit. If you’re lucky, you might leave a little lighter than before.