Where on Earth did this come from? A fully formed bolt out of the blue from the Brighton band who only released their first track last September.

We regularly go through the Reading listings looking for the gems that are coming in our direction. It took all of about 30 seconds listening to Slung to know that this was a very high-quality band who were a must watch when they do their Purple Turtle show on Monday the 5th of May. Having been very impressed by the recent singles the whole album has not disappointed either.

The album gets off to a fantastic start with the one two punch of singles ‘Laughter’ and ‘Class A Cherry.’ ‘Laughter’ opens with a part scream and heavy duty riffage driving the track along in memorable ways. The main guitar theme meanders around in intriguing style while the drumming and rhythm guitar instil a sense of urgency, a need to get somewhere in a hurry. Katie Oldham’s vocals are incredibly strong over it all, commanding, controlling. ‘Class A Cherry’ then takes it all up a notch. There is a slight air of menace that opens out into an absolutely classic track. It recalls a range of mid to late 90s groups – Shirley Manson singing for peak Garbage, a load of grunge acts (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden etc). The band themselves suggest Mazzy Star and Mastodon as reference points. All the influences have been assimilated into the DNA of a vibrant, exciting band that have no intention of being a tribute act. The crescendo of ‘Class A Cherry’ is a controlled detonation, driven on by superb use of a string section.

‘Come Apart’ slows it all down a little showing they can do a gentler track and give it all room to breathe. Just over two thirds of the way through it briefly cranks up into a classic rock monster. ‘Collider’ was one of the reasons Slung caught the eye and the ear a few months back. You could imagine Foo Fighters doing a track like this but not doing it as well as it is delivered here. Again, there is a thrilling intensity to it all. Not a moment is wasted.

Of the unreleased material ‘Matador’ is a beast. The cry of ‘Matador! Conquistador!’ is like an even heavier version of Queen’s Innuendo when Brian May unleashes, but again it is taken up a notch further as it speeds to a thrilling conclusion.

As a collection of work this would have been an album highlight for many a major, established band. For it to be a debut that feels like it has come out of nowhere (first release ‘Neurotic,’ not on the album, only appeared in September 2024) it is a staggering accomplishment. This is a proper rock and grunge album that nods to a range of classics but is absolutely fresh at the same time. This is a band with a huge future ahead of them. There is brilliant understanding between the musicians, Ali Johnson riffing on guitar, Vlad Matveikov on bass and Ravi Martin on drums. You can absolutely imagine them joining Fontaines DC and Wunderhorse at the forefront of the modern guitar band pack. We cannot wait for Monday to see them in action for ourselves. Is it the best debut album this year? It will be in the mix. This is the album you didn’t know you needed in your life but you will absolutely take it to heart and love it.