Bleech 9:3 are not here to play the part of the next cool underground band, and that is exactly what makes them stand out. Even if the name raises an eyebrow and the festival slots might make some people suspicious, their music comes from something much more real. For Baz Quinlan and Sam Duffy, this band grew out of sobriety, struggle, and the need to build something honest. These songs do not feel engineered for streams or trends. They feel necessary.
Their debut EP wastes no time making that clear. Rather than following the cleaner, moodier strain of post-punk that has become so common, Bleech 9:3 push in a heavier direction, full of thick riffs, grime, and pressure. There is a weight to these tracks that feels closer to late-90s alt-metal than anything in the current indie cycle. “Jacky” lands hard from the start, driven by a bassline that practically hits you in the chest. “Cannonball” drags itself forward through distortion and feedback, but never loses its emotional core.
What gives the record shape is Quinlan’s vocal. He brings real melody to the chaos, which stops the songs from sinking under their own heaviness. There is grit in his delivery, but also control. On tracks like “Underrated” and “Ceiling,” the band show they know exactly when to tighten the pressure and when to let a song open up. That balance is a big part of why the whole thing works.
What is most striking about Bleech 9:3 is how complete they already sound. So many new bands feel like they are still figuring themselves out, but this EP arrives with purpose. The intensity does not feel borrowed, and the darkness never comes across as style for style’s sake. It feels lived in. Loud, rough around the edges, and completely locked in, Bleech 9:3 sound like a band with something real behind them and something real to prove.
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