Album Review: Hookworms - The Hum

After blowing us away with Pearl Mystic, UK five-piece Hookworms return with an unrelenting blast of psychedelic noise rock.

The album’s opener, The Impasse, brutalises listeners with its pummeling drums, wailing guitars and full-throated screamy vocals. As the album progresses, Hookworms deal a dense tumultuous noise that mixes garage, punk and hardcore into a psych context. The spaced-out prog interludes of IV, V and VI suggest this is one multifaceted outfit that skillfully moves across a variety of styles with ease. The dazed shoegaze chill of Off Screen offers respite from this intense but satisfying noise.