You Make Me Sad by DUG

When I was younger and more musically naive, I held the misguided belief that songs with a faster tempo and more complex structure were heavier by default. If anyone still operates from that position, allow the new record You Make Me Sad by noise rockers DUG to challenge your assumptions. The Minnesota-based duo use a simple setup with limited instrumentation, and somehow transform nothing more than distorted guitar riffs and straightforward percussion into obliterating walls of sound. Like swimming through concrete, the music pulses at a thick, sludgy rhythm, sometimes slowing into pure drone. The minimalist approach means that You Make Me Sad embodies a unique sense of spaciousness, exploring its own balance between chaos and silence. The result is a direct experience of noise that allows each individual element to shine through. This record thoughtfully avoids excess, delivering a curated version of grungy doom that’s slower, louder, and heavier than any other release this week.