Remote Viewing’s State Violence is 40 minutes of filthy, punishing sludge that smacks you hard in the face from the get-go.

The London quintet channel rage, frustration and social injustice into monstrous riffs, shifting rhythms and Ed Dudley’s absolutely feral vocals. Opener ‘#makemoneymakelovemakemoney’ immediately lays down the gauntlet, with downtuned riffs so heavy you can feel them in your guts. It’s terrifyingly beautiful and sets the tone for what’s to come.

I’m ashamed to admit these guys are completely new to me, but they’ve landed at exactly the right time as I’ve been getting increasingly into bands like Chat Pile, Indifferent Engine and Truck Violence, so Remote Viewing are a very welcome new addition to my ears.

‘Straight to VHS’ is about as sludgy as you can get, leaving you in a constant state of anxiety as it beats you around the head with a sledgehammer. Then comes ‘HUMAN RIGHT$’, the album’s sprawling centrepiece, which brings acoustic guitar, cello, strings and guest musicians into the band’s otherwise suffocating sound. It’s dark, hypnotic and genuinely impressive, commanding your attention over the course of its seven-and-a-half minutes as it shifts and twists in different directions. The strings bring a whole new dimension to the track, elevating it in a surprisingly tasteful way against the torturous screams and relentless dirge.

That eventually gives way to the gentle embrace of ‘Accidental Holiday’, its looped guitars slowly building the tension before things get filthy again. Thunderous drums and sludgy guitars set the scene before Dudley is screaming directly in your face once more. And it’s anything but a holiday, as the band throttles you for close to ten minutes, dragging you through every ounce of its oppressive weight.

Closer ‘Birds of a feather is on in 7 minutes’ arrives with warped guitars and an overwhelming sense of unease, but also gives you a brief chance to breathe. After everything that’s come before it, that feels entirely appropriate.

State Violence isn’t an easy listen, and it isn’t supposed to be. It’s angry, ugly, cathartic and impossible to ignore.