If you’re looking for a relentless yet melodic assault on the ears in the vein of Karp or Mule, then The Ruby Doe is your band. The Flame And The Fury is full of explosive guitars and pounding rhythms. The vocals are guttural and aggressive while the lyrics are showy in a police-crime-scene kind of way. “KFC” is a prime example of the band’s sardonic humor: “two heads and one lung sinking teeth into vein/deviate circulate replicate/they can’t call you chicken anymore.”

The music has elements of early nineties grunge, evidenced by the thick, plodding pace of “The Out Crowd”, but, for the most part, The Ruby Doe blasts through its songs with West Coast punk ferociousness. The Ruby Doe’s wound up energy showcases itself in controlled bursts. “Integument” introduces a refined sense of the loud/soft dynamic perfected by the Pixies well over a decade ago, but the Ruby Doe takes it to the next level. The bass tone is similar to that of Unsane’s early stuff, but The Ruby Doe connects on a more intimate level than Unsane’s detached madness.

The trio incorporates tape loops and keyboards into its tribal attack, which works well and adds a modern edge. Over the course of the record the punk influence slowly shifts into a noise-rock cacophony, a direction to which the band seems more suited. Some songs are even anthematic: “Greasy-Like Ribbon” features a shout along chorus, complete with rolling ‘r’s and a southern fried guitar riff. Don’t mistake the band’s sense of humor for irony- this is not a pose; these guys know exactly what they’re doing.