This past April, a thunderous EP came crashing into U92’s rotation, injuring one DJ and strewing the studio with broken glass and goat hair. Created by Saint Louis, Missouri area punks Inner City Witches, HOOF! presents a unique blend of punk, post-punk, and jazz all fusing together into a sound equally cohesive and coercive. The band describe themselves on Spotify as “Post-Punk/Post-Hardcore,” but this barely scratches the surface. “One Hoof To The Head” opens the album with a heavy, energetic verse featuring hardcore punk drumming and a slower, heavier chorus. “Witch On Film” continues the heat, amping the manic energy up to eleven. “Cloven Hoof” has a calmer energy at first, but slowly builds to a climactic ending. Of the five songs on the EP, four are all time bangers in my heavy listening rotation, with the remaining one likely to join them. Clocking in at just over 16 minutes, HOOF! wastes not a single second or song, with each track unique enough to stand on its own while still sounding cohesive. Channeling equal parts post-punk and hardcore, this EP is one of my favorite releases of the year so far, and I’m excited to see the band’s next move.