Lung + SKRT Split EP, 2021. Romanus Records. Split EP, Tricolor variant, limited to 50. We caught one of our favorite new(ish) bands, Lung, last night at Shank Hall (they, along withe speed metal band Speedealer, opened for the hilarious tribute/parody band Mac Sabbath who play (mostly) Black Sabbath covers dressed in over-the-top McDonalds costumes). Lung played an amazing – as always! – set which mostly included songs from their recently released LP Let It Be Gone (which I’ll have on vinyl within the next week or so from Romanus). But they also played at least one track from this split EP, the live favorite “Wall” which encapsulates everything that makes Lung one of the most exciting and innovative bands out there: dark grungy energy courtesy of the drum-electric cello duo topped by Kate Wakefield’s operatic voice (literally: she’s a classically trained opera singer as well as an accomplished cellist). The other four Lung tracks (“The City is Lying,” “Stalemate,” “What Are You Asking For?” and “Stranger Now“) are also not available on any of their other recordings. You either need this EP or, better, see them live (it is a must-see experience).

Daisy Caplan of Lung, Shank Hall

Kate Wakefield of Lung, Shank Hall

Until now, I was not familiar with SKRT, an art-punk trio from Ohio. Their sound is loud, messy and unique noise rock. Singer Ashley Pooler (also on guitar) is ferocious, wailing over weirdly jagged rhythms courtesy of Abbie Romero on drums and Micah Kemplin on bass.  My favorite of their four tracks on the split is the excellently titled “Snowsuit for the Apocalypse.” “Black Adderall” is also really cool, really weird – lots of tempo and energy shifts, from a funky groove to a swinging melody to some dissonant piano and spoken whispery words but that only seems to be on the vinyl version, not the YouTube digital recording linked here. Like Lung’s selections, these tracks are only available on this EP (they only have one other release, a 7-song album from 2016, Toxic Schlock).