2012 was a good year for rock of the fuzzy/loud variety, so much so that I'm still catching up. Hailing from the mighty New Orleans, Heat Dust take lo-fi rockers and sprinkle in some Siamese Dream huge guitar tones to spice things up. At just five songs and a goofy album cover, this self-titled 10-inch is a tease. A mighty fine one, but a tease nonetheless.

Or you could argue it's just filler-free. "Sleeping Call" opens the record with dreamy vocals and a thundering guitar/drums dirge. "I Was Afraid of Dying" briefly slows things down for a cacophonous series of stop/start thuds that suggest that maybe, just maybe, these guys are down with Floor. Either way, the band flirt with metal, shoegaze and '90s alt-rock, splitting the difference between Sebadoah and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The song almost ends in a mess of noise so formless it's psychedelic, but the band rallies for one last chorus. "Let Them Give Up" is ever so slightly somber, to the extent that I can actually hear the bass for once. Spoiler altert: It too has a big, booming quality.

"Priority Mail For an Asshole" and "Thick Distance" take up the flipside. It's more exceptionally executed noise, albeit a little slower and moodier, proving that Heat Dust take some of the best underground rock of the last 20 years and connects the dots. Considering these tunes were recorded in 2011, it would be nice to see a full-length on the horizon (although they did drop a split this month with Joy Sores).