Somewhere near the ancient volcanic craters of regional South Australia, Gernz are making an unholy racket that demands immediate attention with their roaring new single OW!. Turning raw physical agony and emotional weight into something loud and fun, the Mount Gambier outfit channel the immediate, heavy-hearted crunch of late-eighties and nineties alternative rock without sounding like a tired museum piece. The guitars hit like a brick wall right from the opening kick drum, wrapping heavy distortion around a melody that sticks to your brain on impact.
Listen close to the rhythmic thrum and you can hear the lineage of legendary acts like The Breeders in the way the basslines push through the mud. There is an absolute refusal to take the misery too seriously here, as the lead vocal bounces between playful sneers and ragged belts. Instead of wallowing in the dark, the group turns the pain into a communal shout along that feels downright liberating.
By the time the final feedback fades out, Pixies-style quiet-loud dynamics have been recycled into something completely fresh and unapologetically Australian. Gernz prove that real bands playing real instruments with ferocious passion still hold the key to unforgettable alternative rock. Plug this one in loud and turn the volume knob all the way up.
