A hardcore EP of grungy punk

The Canadian rockers of Fucked Up dropped their mind-bending EP Oberon in early October. The project includes four tracks: “Oberon,” “Strix,” “Masshit” and an instrumental piece titled “The Aquarium.” A product of the early 2000s, the hardcore punks of Fucked Up currently include Damian Abraham, Mike Haliechuk, Josh Zucker, Sandy Miranda and Jonah Falco. Together as Fucked Up, they released Oberon on October 7, 2022.

Don’t be fooled by the first track’s creeping pace; “Oberon” goes hard. Abraham’s raspy voice rips through the earth like a demon crawling up from the underworld. Almost a whopping eight minutes, the single throbs with layered chords and measured snares. Sometimes a background tone lulls like a tornado siren to develop tension. Guitar patterns remain similar during the piece until a saga of more complex phrases takes over the song’s fifth and sixth minutes. Later in its final seconds, chords fade to establish the end of “Oberon.”

“Strix” is notably faster than the opener. While “Oberon” patiently basks in a dilapidated world, “Strix” wildly explores the rubble. Abraham roars his words as if he’s a mountaineer; the vocals are distant and reverberated yet rich with intensity. The rumble of the electric guitar and Miranda’s bass meld together. A chanting chorus resembles the verses’ instrumentation; it’s thick with raw, amplified strings that bleed together as drums crackle behind the sludgy melody.

In “Masshit,” Abraham growls about staring into the sky and sun. At its start, the EP’s third track brings a collection of modulated tones, likely the result of a phaser. The digital effect floats to the background but continues to keep time as the electric shredding of a hardcore axe commands attention, supported by Falco’s drumbeats and jingling percussion. In the second verse, lyrics reference anxiety and feeling “exposed,” though vocalized with the brute force of a boulder. After Abraham delivers each verse with a punch, his voice echoes into oblivion during the chorus.

Skittering strings trigger the inception of Oberon’s instrument-driven finale, “The Aquarium.” Edgy and threatening, these vibrations spark the thrilling unease of a roller coaster climb. Overtaken by distorted guitar strings, the song’s overall sound expands to welcome a succession of thumps behind each strum. Soon, a shaky waterfall of declining pitch serves as a freshly isolated section, and “The Aquarium” alternates between grungy rock chords and orchestral descension, the former partnered with a percussive hiss. The end settles into a synth-filled melodic sequence, marking a lighter close to the EP. While Oberon opened in the depths of majestic debris, it closes with a high-pitched but understated electronic harmony.

Oberon is a beast. Untamed but consistent, Fucked Up’s October EP stays rooted in the general territory of hardcore punk and grunge, sometimes tossing in elements of electronic rock. Some of Oberon’s most captivating parts are those spotted with alternative electronica, as they offer moments of intrigue and variation. Overall, Oberon fuses grimy instrumentation and digital sounds to create four radioactive tracks, three of which are joined by Abraham’s usual gravelly vocalization.