The Darrans are gonna blow your eardrums into next week.

Last time we heard from (or saw) Northern Beaches quartet The Darrans, they were on a blood-soaked, murderous rampage through their neighbourhood. Don’t fear, it was just a music video for their track ‘Thinkin Bout You’. These lads are only really dangerous to people who are allergic to mosh pits and fucking good tunes.

Back in 2019, they gave us their debut album The Darrans, which was a gritty-as-all-hell ride of crunchy guitars and wailing vocals, an album that bled DIY spirit and underdog energy. Now they return with the aptly titled The Darrans II, and what’s changed over the past seven years? Glad you asked.

The production has stepped up a notch or two, for starters. Not in a way that makes them sound like every other polished indie band, but more in a way that suggests the boys have learned a few studio tricks and things sound a little… clearer. They even have a bit of a ballad in the form of ‘Diesel Fumes’, which is a tasty little gear switch amid the ferocity of the record.

And there’s plenty of ball-tearing rock in there, which, let’s face it, is the whole reason we love this band. ‘Cool Hands’ pays homage to ’80s punk and hardcore with a bit of call and response thrown in, the aforementioned ‘Thinkin Bout You’ is them at their most anthemic, and album closer ‘Slug’ is a fittingly heavy-as-fuck finale to this gem of a record.

It’s definitely one you’ll be wanting to catch live, and we have some good news for you. The Darrans will be celebrating the release of The Darrans II with a free show at Chubbs Bar in Brookvale this Saturday, October 10th, kicking off at 6:30pm. They’ll be joined by Melbourne’s Dissclaimer, The Herbal Lunatics (featuring former members of The Hellmen), Corella and The Cumquatz for a five-band lineup that should give the venue’s sound system a serious workout.

Free entry, five bands and enough riffs to leave your ears ringing until Monday. What more could you want?