IT'S been a hectic few weeks here at Noise Annoys towers packed with full-page interviews and holiday breaks (I know, it's a hard life), meaning that some quality local releases have crept up on me without report.
A case in point is Medicine / Bernadette, the new double A-side offering from anthemic Belfast punk rockers Empty Lungs.
Kev Jones and co will be jetting off for a US tour as you read these very words, but they recently launched the single on home turf at The Empire in Belfast.
Benadette is perhaps the quartet's poppiest offering yet, fuelled by lyrics addressing the prejudices of an abortion protester who may or may not be Bernadette Smyth.
Meanwhile, on the flip, quiet/loud rocker Medicine offers a dynamic listen that mixes big riffs with prettier passages to fine effect.
All in, it's intriguingly progressive stuff from a band yet to release their debut LP.
Listen and/or buy now at Emptylungs.bandcamp.com, bearing in mind that all proceeds from sales are being donated to abortion advice charity Womenonweb.org.
Onwards we thrash to Irish speed metal fiends Gama Bomb, whose brand newLP Untouchable Glory will be unleashed just in time for Halloween.
The Dublin-based, mostly Newry-bred riffsters are taking pre-orders for their dodgy action flicks and crazy kung-fu movies-fuelled magnum opus as you read this.
To get a sense of whether their latest madcap metal assault is a good fit for your ears, wrap them and your very eyeballs around their brand new video for lead single Ninja Untouchables / Untouchable Glory.
As if this impressively rapid song wasn't metal thrashing mad enough already, with its relentless percussive pummel, fret-melting soloing and lyrical references to not wearing any undercrackers (the Kung-Fu Fighting-esque "hoo-has" are a nice touch also), the video is chock-a-block with clips from 70s chopsocky classics where plot and production values came a distant third to awesome displays of martial arts 'skillz'.
Check it out now at Gamabomb.net, where you'll also find another teaser track for the album in the form of the Bride of Frankenstein-inspired She Thing, plus oh-so-handy links that point you and your disposable income in the direction of limited edition coloured vinyl: choose black, pink, yellow and/or red.
Every copy comes wrapped in fantastic artwork from the easel of legendary horror film poster master Graham Humphreys (The Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street), who also created the sleeve for their previous LP, The Terror Tapes, in 2013.
If that hasn't convinced you to buy it, perhaps the words from brain of Gama Bomb frontman Philly Byrne that are almost certainly going to form the basis of the next thrilling instalment of Noise Annoys will finally get you to pony up.
Finally, on the subject of loud Irish acts with new videos, the mighty Therapy? have a selection of artfully shot moving pictures to accompany their new single, Deathstimate, taken from their rather awesome recent LP Disquiet.
Watch it today at Therapyquestionmark.co.uk, then make a mental commitment to buy the digital-only single when it's released next Friday, which comes with two exclusive b-sides: If You're Driving, Pull Over and Electricity.
Also, don't forget that there are now three 'Infernal Love + more' Irish dates – an extra Dublin show has been added at The Button Factory on Thursday December 10, the night before the previously announced gig.
In other words, Andy, Michael and Neil should be tight as a fat vicar's tutu by the time they hit The Limelight here in Belfast on December 12.
"Fan-f***ing-tastic", as Mr Cairns might put it.
THIS WEEK'S MOST ANNOYING NOISES
Deathstimate – Therapy?
She Thing – Gama Bomb
Exploit Me – Girls Names
Medicine / Bernadette – Empty Lungs
Breaker – Deerhunter
Go-Go Boots Are Back Again – Steve Earle & The Dukes
Happiness, Missouri – El Vy
All In A Daze Work – Kurt Vile
To Be Part of You – The Watchmakers
Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
