Artwork provided by the incredibly talented Oli Knowles.

After many months of not updating, I am extremely excited to announce that my first post upon my triumphant return is a premier of the new Commander Salamander EP, Gross October. I’m aware that it was dropped by surprise last night, but this is the official “announcement” of its release, as it were.

Commander Salamander are a self-described sparklepunk band from Fairfax, VA. They play a mixture of aggressive pop-punk with math rock-influenced guitars and harsh, throaty vocals to create what is one of my absolute favorite releases of this year so far.

Guitarist/lead vocalist, Claudio Benedi, lights the tracks on fire with his hard-hitting, intricate lead lines as well as his unique vocal style. Songs like “Lord Beer Me Strength” and “Gross October” rest on the strength of his performances, climaxes and bridges hitting like lightning strikes and vocals careening across the music with conviction and power.

The rhythm section is nothing to sniff at, either. Liam Crone’s agile, rubbery drumming coalesces with the more hardcore-influenced bass of Fernando Moyano in order to provide a bone-crunching bottom end, aided in no small part by the crisp, punchy production of Ryland Heagy of Origami Angel. The overall atmosphere of the EP is indebted to his production work, a perfect balance of clarity and fuzziness, showcased in the more ambient moments, such as “Yr Not Ramona Flowers, Yr Knives Chau.” The band themselves mirror this balance, veering from the rocket-science-precision and tight rhythm work of “Skeletor’s Revenge” to the frenzied, ferocious climax of “Really Expensive Toss” with aplomb.

The bottom line is that this record is incredible and you are doing yourselves a grave disservice if you sleep on it. You don’t want to be the person ten years from now, listening to the next generation waxing poetic about bands they never got to see, and have nothing to say when Commander Salamander’s name inevitably comes up. Listen now or pose forever.