The Shania Twainsaw Massacre were one of our earliest finds, before our zine was even in circulation. Their debut EP Denature was visceral and brilliant, taking the classic grunge template to a really eerie place. We said they were a band to keep a close eye on, and their second EP Horsemaning has proved us 100% right.

While not as rigidly conceptual as Denature, which followed the life of a pig from slaughter to dog food, the thematic territory of animals and bodily discomfort is recognisably the same. Grunge bands like Hole, Alice In Chains and Nirvana injected uncomfortable darkness into the punk template, and The Shania Twainsaw Massacre do exactly that with real intelligence. Frontwoman Connie Matthews is a fascinating presence, with lyrics built on insecurity and nervousness, and a vulnerability to her vocals that sits in fascinating contrast to the enormous noise the band make around her. Where Courtney Love was confrontational and explosive, Connie turns inward and the effect is even more unsettling. The bands guitar work is consistently creative, crashing with walls of sound around a quiet and nervous centre. Fresh takes its time opening the EP, veering between eerie arpeggiated sections and slamming grunge noise. Bloat runs with the body horror element fully present with rich and powerful harmonies in the chorus, a two minute single of real force. Dog-Friendly Bone Museum continues in the same uncomfortable vein, demonstrating that the band understands grunge at a level way beyond imitation, and Nosebleeds closes the EP with the most unsettling song of all. The Shania Twainsaw Massacre is an absurd name but also a surprisingly accurate description of what this band does, with a combination of soft girliness and brutal violence. They came out of the gate with a clear identity, and Horsemaning builds on that momentum with exciting promise.