Madness at Home – Self Titled EP

By RingMaster Review on January 21, 2021 • ( 1 )

Pleasure can come in a vast array of ways, the union of trespass, temptation and violation just one as enjoyably shown by the debut EP from Italian trio Madness at Home. It is a handful of songs that leave the senses feeling tainted, corrupted even but basking in a fusion of punk and grunge which hits the spot and a hunger for more.

Hailing from Rome, Madness at Home draws on the influences of artists like Kyuss, Nirvana and Melvins for a sound bred in the intent “to bring back that obsolete sound from the late 80’s and early 90’s.” Woven in their own invention it is a dirty, clamorous confrontation; a squall of sonic distortion driven by an emotive and lyrical exploration of dark thoughts and distressed emotions through incessant hardship. Yet it is equally an intriguing and often contagious incitement which, with the open potential of richer trespasses to come, makes the self-titled debut one compelling proposition.

Fade starts the self-titled EP off, Madness at Home immediately luring ears with a familiarly toned riff as a sonic squall brews. Swiftly rhythms gather and riffs surge, the track soon accosting with virulence and confrontational attitude. As vocals match the irritability of the sounds around them, the song simultaneously entices and taunts; those Nirvana influences unmistakable but only adding to its magnetism.

It is a superb start which is powerfully backed by the even more aggressively invasive Leech. Even so rhythmically and in grooves, the track only infectiously grabbed keen attention. The tempestuousness in its heart soon erupts in vocals and riffs, the former especially an emotionally scalded trespass highlighted fully as the song prowls to their distress.

For the first two songs alone the EP is a must check-out but only provides further enjoyment as Rosebud darkly serenades and stains the psyche with its own spoiled sanity, once more Cobain and co a potent spice, while Life is a Dream descends in bruising clamour upon the senses with equal success. It is a tempest which consumes but also breeds its mercurial lure on swinging grooves and catchy hook prone riffs.

Shelley’s Wall completes the release, a ravenous surge of punk rock that infested every pore and ignited the instincts for predacious corruption. It is also virulently contagious, the kind of pleasure we devour here and did with greed.

It is fair to say that Madness at Home have yet to unleash the true uniqueness in their sound which the EP often hints at yet in many ways that is not their intent, certainly at this moment in time. There is already certain individuality to it though which sets it apart and has us eagerly anticipating its successors.

The Madness at Home EP is out now via Seahorse Recordings.