In a lofty rehearsal space in northern Kyiv, a throat-punch mix of thrashing guitars, screaming female vocals, and blasting drums plays from a speaker roughly half the size of a person.

The riffs are pure Master of Puppets-era thrash metal, until a melodic, almost pop-punk chorus takes over, sounding like a long-lost Distillers B-side.

“This is the new song we’re recording right now,” says Marianna Navrotskaya, the voice behind the mic, as we sit in a circle and eat pastries with drummer Anastasia Homenko.

Their band, Death Pill, might be Kyiv’s only riot grrrl group. Imagine Slayer but fronted by Kathleen Hanna. They’re one of a handful of punk bands that make up the small but vibrant punk and metal scene in Ukraine’s capital.