Val Normal: Plans? What Plans?

Plans? What Plans? is the sprawling debut opus from Dublin trio Val Normal. A semi-instrumental offering, it comprises ten tracks which see the band cram all the best bits from a multitude of rock sub-cultures into their weighty sonic assaults.

The record rages with the best of them on the likes of ‘Solidify The Idiocy’ (check the awesome sci-fi guitar sounds); the epic ‘Metal Gear Salad’ is another stand-out, with a beautiful, melodic guitar solo giving way to a spoken word segment which gleefully slaughters cultural sacred cows; and ‘Purple Man/Green Coil’ ably illustrates they can write a decent alt pop tune too. Fans of early Hot Water Music and Slint will lap this up.