The opening moments of HOOCH’s debut album FREELOADER feel like a time warp to the early-2000s desert rock scene—thick, fuzzed-out guitar riffs, thunderous bass and drums, and lyrics that revel in coke-fuelled chaos and twilight debauchery.

The bass riff on the horror rock cut “TEKILLYA” may howl like something out of a Kyuss track, but this garage rock four-piece is far from the desert—they’re from Nova Scotia. Still, songs like “CRASH MY CAR” and “TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT” explode with debaucherous rock and roll, built to be blasted loud enough for your neighbours to hear through concrete walls.

A different side of the band emerges with “WHEN THE DAY COMES,” a slower, acoustic guitar-led fusion that offers a breather before plunging headfirst into the sludgy, hammer-on frenzy of “NOOSE.” The title track follows, grabbing the listener by the collar and holding on tight through a face-melting guitar solo.

“NIMPH” cranks the heat once more, surging with raw, unapologetic punk energy—until it suddenly swerves into a chaotic synth detour, full of glitchy beeps and alien chirps. The vocal delivery here doesn’t quite land, but it’s a brief detour before the band slams the gas and rockets back into the red. FREELOADER is loud, unfiltered, and built to be blasted—an unruly debut that firmly plants HOOCH on the map and in your face.