Late 2020, Heavy Lag appeared out of nowhere with a two-song demo that put them on my bands-to-watch list immediately. Now, almost two years later, the band’s debut LP is finally here. To state the obvious: it was worth the wait.
Let’s start with some facts to pique your interest. Another Year Closer To Whatever is recorded by Pete Steinkopf (Bouncing Souls), mixed by Jeff Burke (Marked Men, Radioactivity), and mastered by the extremely productive Will Killingsworth (some recent ATW favorites his fingerprints are on: Probleman, Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness, Cherry Cheeks and Smirk). The record is released by Bloated Kat Records, whose releases are always worth checking out. Heavy Lag sure knows how to get the right people involved.
Does that translate into the right kind of music? Let’s go from facts to feelings. Front-to-back, Another Year Closer To Whatever is a killer punk rock record. Highly energetic and scrappy, it’s only 17 or 18 minutes long and packed with infectious melodies. It contains a brand of punk rock (Dirt Pop!) that, when executed this well, will never grow old. So yeah, I am taking Heavy Lag of the bands-to-watch list. They seem to have arrived already, and this one goes straight to my wantlist. Mystery colored vinyl available through Bloated Kat Records.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp