Dry Socket formed in 2019 in Portland, Ore. around the core of Dani of Screaming Skull on vocals and Drew of Squalor playing guitar. With Geoff on bass and Curtis on drums, the band quickly recorded a demo that you can still get for free download from their Bandcamp. Shiver is Dry Socket’s first physical release, recorded in February 2020 just before COVID lockdown set in. This is fast and heavy hardcore with raw vocals and lyrics that are both political and personal. Shiver hits like a sudden gut check and continues pounding. I wanted to raise my fist and scream along by the second listen. Dani has always had a powerful voice, going all the way back to her time in the Connecticut band Offsides in the early ’00s, and this is the fiercest she’s ever sounded. The rest of the band match the intensity she brings to her delivery. The result is one of the best hardcore records you’ll hear this year. –Paul J. Comeau (Get Stoked, [email protected])