THUMPER (IRE)

Dublin's THUMPER has been developing its sound and building an increasingly passionate fanbase. With a lineup of two drummers and four guitarists, THUMPER's maximalist wall of sound has long since set them apart in the booming Dublin music scene and has them "punching like heavyweights alongside Fontaines DC and The Murder Capital" (Chris Hawkins, BBC Radio 6).

Their debut album, Delusions of Grandeur (18.03.22), reveals THUMPER's trademark penchant for saccharine melody and unabashed hooks, all the while set against their signature psych-drenched rumble. This harsh juxtaposition of sweet and caustic is where THUMPER thrive.

Sometimes these two elements live shoulder to shoulder, fighting for space (hear the final chorus of Fear of Art as it reaches a clean anthemic climax before devolving in a scree of feedback, only to allow a gentle melody to emerge from the chaos once more). Sometimes one completely overtakes the other (Strychnine begins as a welcomed breather from the album's relentless forward momentum, only to be swallowed by fuzz moments later).

While Delusions of Grandeur features plenty of homages to classic alt-rock such as Weezer, Pixies or The Dandy Warhols, it is also steeped in the influence of contemporaries such as Viagra Boys, King Gizzard, Shame and even Idles at their most psychedelic. At other points, the sheer bombastic nature of its production recalls Irish psych alumni My Bloody Valentine on Loveless or no wave veterans Sonic Youth on Daydream Nation.

Nowhere is this bombastic recording process more apparent than on the record's final act – the 20-minute Overbite Suite consisting of three songs recorded and performed as one long piece. This epic attempt at pushing past the mould of what a 'song' can be in part justified by the album's title.

Delusions of Grandeur is not just a statement of musical intent. The title refers to a struggle with self-image, internal and external, and the existential maintenance that all of this implies. Leahy Furlong's visceral and surreal lyrics obsess over the search for the 'authentic self' in a medium so steeped in pretentiousness.

This central tension mirrors and challenges the chaos of light and dark in the music itself, as the record continuously swings from light-hearted to brutal, keeping the listener hooked the entire time.

While THUMPER remain 'Cult heroes' (Clash Magazine) in Ireland, the six-piece band are no stranger to international touring. They've already completed extensive UK tours, a European tour, supported Fangclub and appeared at festivals such as Groningen's Eurosonic Festival ('My highlight of Eurosonic. Epic! Such a massive, massive sound' Abbie McCarthy, BBC Radio 1), and Hamburg's Mucke Bei Dei Fische.

This volume of touring is no mean feat for a band who are only now releasing their first LP, but THUMPER are not resting on their laurels. 2022 will see THUMPER head to Reeperbahn Festival and Iceland Airwaves, amongst many others.