Concrete Beach, the debut album from the Indianapolis-based, Karate, Guns & Tanning, is an incendiary blast of psychedelic-tinged post-punk, shoegaze and dream-pop that draws on influences as varied as the Riot Grrrl movement, metal, synthwave, and the gonzo visions of Hunter S. Thompson.

Born out of restlessness and pent-up aggression, and further intensified by the ambient dread of the early months of the pandemic, Karate, Guns & Tanning’s fierce energy is palpable on standout moments like the synth-splattered “Badlands,” a nightmarish vision of a doomed journey into the darkest heart of the desert. The song’s harrowing denouement is meant to represent a car flipped over in the sand; a sputtering sample of the 1970s country classic “Convoy” signifies the detuned radio, still blaring into the futile chaos while the wheels are spinning.

“Breaking Teeth,” with its metallic guitars, gritty bass and chanted rally cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” (not to mention some blazing guitar solos from Mills), evokes the hyper-distorted noise-pop clamor of Sleigh Bells. The track describes an underground fight club, where a match is happening and the crowd is screaming, blood and teeth flying through the air.

That brooding intensity percolates on “Fire,” a psych-tinted track powered by melodic distorted bass, haunting guitars, and accompanied by a surrealist video by visual artist Andrew Knives. Meanwhile, “Artifacts” roars to life with a massive bass synth and hyper-processed vocals that serve as another instrument in the mix. The song was meant to evoke the unsettling feeling of being trapped by something not quite tangible. “I wrote this before quarantine,” Green says, “and it ended up being super relevant.” Elsewhere, the band’s experimental dream-pop influences shine on the lush and soaring “Zenith,” a minimalist cut inspired by the SpaceX launch.

The present lineup consists of Valerie Green (she/her) on lead vocals, bass, and synths, Joy Caroline Mills (she/her) on guitar, vocals and synths, and Erik Fox (he/him) on drums.

Concrete Beach is out now on all DSPs. Catch Karate, Guns & Tanning breaking teeth at a concrete beach near you.