It’s been too long since we’ve heard from Gouge Away. The band, formed in Florida, has released two albums of excellently sludgy and catchy post-hardcore, 2016’s , Dies and 2018’s Burnt Sugar. As far as I can tell, though, Gouge Away haven’t played a proper live show since 2019, and they haven’t released anything since 2020, when they dropped their single “Consider” and backed it with a cover of the Pixies’ “Wave Of Mutilation.” (You see what they did there.) When a band goes quiet for that long, you always have to weigh the possibility that they just broke up without telling anyone. But Gouge Away did not break up. Instead, they just made an ecstatic surprise return.

Last night, Gouge Away’s kindred spirits Militarie Gun played at Portand’s Mano Oculta, headlining a sick-ass bill that also featured Spiritual Cramp and Supercrush. In the middle of Militarie Gun’s set, they turned the stage over to Gouge Away, who played two songs, one of which was new, on Militarie Gun’s equipment.

I don’t know anyone in Gouge Away, but I do know Militarie Gun’s Ian Shelton a little bit, so I reached out to ask how last night came together. Shelton says, “They were all practicing in Portland and asked for list to the show so I just told them they should hop up and play a song or two.” That rules. Below, check out a short video from Stereogum contributor Keegan Bradford, who reports that the new song “whipped.”