Noisy, ugly and annoying. This is the best way to describe the debut album from Vancouver screamo act Miss Black America. This writer will admit right from the onset that I hold little affection for this particular genre. But is it too much for a listener to ask for a little variety in the proceedings?

This faceless five-piece is at least capable of crafting short, aggressive bursts of sonic fury. The rhythm section appears to be competent. That is of course, when the bass and drums are not completely drowned out by the screeching, cacophonic mess of guitars that dominate this greatly unpleasant listening experience.

The vocals are, unsurprisingly, completely unintelligible and the delivery primarily consists of strangled shrieking with the occasional gargled line of lyrics.

Miss Black America does attempt to mix up their sound, but to little effect. “Blue Christmas” boasts a guest appearance by 54/40’s Neil Osborne but his collaboration on the track is neither evident or revelatory since the song winds up sounding exactly the same as any other track on the album. “Corpse Cheque” is the closest the group gets to attempting something even remotely melodic, as the bass hook during the chorus coupled with the guitar work in the bridge is at least slightly memorable.

The greatest compliment one can give Miss Black America is the album is brief, clocking in at ten minutes and thirty-five seconds. They might not be for everyone, but at least they are aware of the benefits of brevity.