Rort Menace is a young, three-piece punk/hardcore punk band out of Australia, formed in 2012, and their self-released EP, …And the Bridge Is Up!, is brimming with anger and hardcore energy.

The seven song EP is just shy of eleven minutes long with only one track exceeding a length of a minute forty. It’s a nuclear blast of sound – loud, fast, and explosive. With a sound somewhat reminiscent of Minor Threat, Adolescents, and early Bad Religion (all of which they, unsurprisingly, list as influences), …And the Bridge Is Up! is dedicated to the classic hardcore sound.

The EP leads off with “Teenage Boredom”, a fast paced wall of guitar and angst, the kind of theme young punks anywhere are familiar with. It doesn't stop there, however. They keep up the pace with “Mutually Assured Destruction”, with the anger amped up even further. “E$h Lyf” follows, coming in at fifty-one seconds in length, with the kind of bass intro that shines in punk rock. It’s the first track where we get vocals from bassist Madeleine Mitchell added into the mix, too.

“Why Are You Late?” follows suit with previous songs; it’s pure energy and anger in the form of sound waves. The persistent drums and repetitive chords make it loud and memorable, and the fifty-six second mark proves that they’re a band that doesn't lack ability when it comes to their instruments (guitar in particular here), either. “Grief Thief” opens with dialogue from the show Peep Show, contrasting this with fast paced, heavy guitars and raging, heavy vocals. It’s probably one of the catchiest songs on the EP, with a chanted chorus of “Grief Thief” and explosive, percussive ending. “Yubari”, with its back and forth male and female vocals, is probably the softest song on the album -- which isn't, exactly, saying much.

The EP ends with the longest song, “Scranton Strangler” (who doesn't love an Office reference?), which leads off with a slower drum tempo, before the addition of heavy guitar and an inevitable pick up of the pace. It’s the kind of song that will definitely end up stuck in your head, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s a darker sounding song with low vocals, and it’s heavy on the guitar. The last chord fades into a quote from the Office (of course), with Michael Scott: “Grandpa, where were you the day the Scranton Strangler was caught?”. It sounds a little more serious out of the context of the show, and it makes for a great (and memorable) ending.

The EP goes by quickly, in a flash of sound and energy, and it’s certainly worth the listen. It’s angry and it’s fast, and it’s full of well used pop culture references and musical talent. The vocals are angry and vicious, the guitars heavy and always blaring. Young punk bands are the kind of bands to support, and Rort Menace has proven that they're absolutely worth supporting.