It can’t be easy for a hardcore punk band to make a name for itself without playing any shows, but that’s why Spy did last year. Spy, from the Bay Area, came together last year, during the pandemic, and they released the disgustingly ripshit debut EP Service Weapon. The record evoked the sort of visceral, euphoric rage that’s such an elemental part of this music, and it became a word-of-mouth underground sensation. Since then, Spy have started playing shows, and now they’ve released a second EP that’s just as raw and grimy as the first.

Spy recorded the new EP Habitual Offender with Gulch/Sunami/World Peace collaborator Charles Toshio, and they’ve tapped into the same sort of fast, lurching grind as they brought to Service Weapon. Habitual Offender cranks through six songs in 10 minutes, and it’ll leave you feeling beaten-down and exhilarated. We posted the early track “Exceptional American,” and now you can stream the whole EP below.

Habitual Offender is out now on To Live A Lie.