Manchester trio Big Problem are back with Grudge, a four-track EP that picks up where Morbid Pace left off and pushes further into the band’s blurred mix of post-hardcore, slackened grunge, and nervy punk. The release dropped May 27 via Counterculture Records, accompanied by a lo-fi, fittingly disorienting video for lead single Dog Bite.
Their sound is still tough to pin down: somewhere between Fugazi’s clipped rhythms, Fiddlehead’s emotive undercurrents, and the melodic abrasion of early Title Fight.
There’s tension, but also slackness; weight, but also space. It’s post-something, for sure—but not trying to be clever about it. The production keeps the rawness intact without letting things fall apart, and there’s just enough grime to feel real.
The band—Phil Bowman (bass, vocals), Jake Hardie (guitar, backing vocals), and John Hinde (drums, backing vocals)—recorded the EP themselves at Smokestack Studios, with Hinde also handling mixing and production. Mastering came from Grant Berry at Fader Mastering.
Opening with Dog Bite, the EP wastes no time. Phil explains: “Dog Bite is about the feeling of being let down by someone you thought you could rely on. Someone who always puts themselves first at the detriment of everyone around them.”
The lyrics dig into that particular kind of betrayal—the quiet, grinding one. It’s a steady churn of frustration and clarity, not an explosion. The accompanying video makes that internal noise visual, showing the suffocating presence of someone who “just won’t stop talking about themselves, no matter what the circumstance.”
Some parts of this EP lean heavier into the band’s grunge core, but still keeps its composure. Melodic lines are buried just beneath the distortion, and the vocal delivery stays taut without tipping into melodrama.
Drill Sergeant ups the pressure. There’s a guest vocal from Mike Davies of Step Beyond, but it’s not a show-off feature—it just adds another thread to the song’s thudding urgency.
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Artwork by Dan Shearer.
