Fast Rites: because sometimes brevity is fundamental.
Pus waste no time getting straight to business, and neither should we. The Lima, Peru quintet deliver five rapid fire tracks on their debut self-titled EP, all bursting with the urgency and aggression of UK-82 and early 80’s hardcore, all blackened with by a sinister malaise. The main vocals growl out of the shadows, accompanied by reverb-drenched backing howls that call out like something evil lurking in a dark back alley on opener “Antiquila.” The violent assault gives way to a surprisingly melodic bass line that harkens to a more 90’s punk sensibility. While they certainly have a crusty approach, there’s a reason they aren’t called “Dis-Pus.”
This isn’t to say Pus are putting a lot of effort into pushing stylistic boundaries to craft their sound. The prime directive here is to obliterate anything in their path with straightforward aggression. The atmospherics of the vocals or the swirling, almost psychedelic guitar effects towards the end of “Internet” serve as bits of icing on the bitter cake being smashed in the face. Breakout riffs provide easy hooks to latch onto as the EP burns through its nine minutes in what seems like half of that run time.
Pus round things out with a particularly delectable cover of Guerrilla Urbana’s “Eres Una Pose,” making a nod to their country’s punk roots in the 80’s. The final track, “Pus,” serves as a statement of intent. The translated lyrics simmer with frustration and anger. Beginning with, “¡Eres delincuente de tu propia ciudad caminas sobre muertos de la verdad! (You are a criminal from your own city, you walk on the corpse of the truth!)” and closing out with a blood-curdling eruption of “¡Somos la Pus!,” the band’s message and sound reflect the filthy, soot-covered, frustrated view of the world around them. The production values reflect this as well: While everything is certainly audible, loud and clear, there is still a deliciously grimy layer of ash that sits atop it all. Pus is vicious and succinct – everything a proper punk EP should be.
Originally self- released on digital and cassette tape: November 1, 2020.
Available May 21st on 7″ courtesy of Babylon Doom Cult Records.
For U.S. distro, contact Nayjs75@gmail.com
