If you’ve been following the Philadelphia underground for any length of time, you know it’s a place where you can expect the unexpected. Emerging from the hazy remnants of Plaque Marks, the collective now known as PLQ MRX has returned in 2026 with UPSIDEYERHEAD, an album that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on you. UPSIDEYERHEAD is an intentional blend of noise rock, noise punk, and acid-soaked psychedelia. With a lineage connecting members to titans like Unsane, Ecstatic Vision, and Swans, you already know the pedigree is top-tier. But don’t expect a carbon copy of those projects. This is something far more unhinged, operating at the intersection of Flipper’s distorted sludge and the lysergic, warped funk of Funkadelic, all while maintaining the chaotic “trip-gone-wrong” spirit of early Butthole Surfers. Before we even get to the riffs, we have to talk about the world PLQ MRX inhabits. It’s an exploration of sensory overload, altered states, and a sort of grotesque carnival aesthetic. The band leans heavily into themes of debauchery and pleasure, but they aren’t interested in the glamorous side of the party. They are documenting the ugly turns, the frightful perversions, and the frantic energy of a mental breakdown in progress.
There is a fascinating, self-aware irony at play here. The band’s promotional jargon, urging you to “ask your doctor, your pharmacist, or the police about the record” frames the music as a dangerous substance. They explore the idea of the sound as something you can’t turn off once you’ve tuned in. It’s a thematic dive into the highs and lows of the human experience, filtered through a lens of surreal characters and exaggerated rituals. The vocals guide the listener through the sonic maelstrom, acting as both a narrator and a participant in the chaos. There’s a feral energy to the delivery that emphasizes the band’s shift into more expansive, self-aware territory. The voice remains at the center of the storm, whether it’s a yelped command or a distorted wail, ensuring the sonic journey remains as epic, disorienting, yet present all the time. The guitar work is where things get truly experimental. We are talking about noisy, abrasive guitars drenched in every effect imaginable, reverb, delay, echo, and heavy, wah-infused sonic manipulations that bring that acid-funk influence to the forefront. The riffs are tight when they need to be, but the band leaves massive amounts of room for improvisation and sonic experimentation.
The guitar tracks levitate between raw noise rock aggression and shreddy psychedelic maneuvers. You’ll find harmonies and melodies buried under layers of filth, proving that despite the sloppy aesthetic, these musicians possess a level of sonic virtuosity that will undoubtedly catch your attention. These folks are sculpting noise like pros from start to finish, making sure that your ears remain engaged in the process. For an album this loose and trippy, it needs a rock-solid foundation to prevent it from floating away into total abstraction. That’s where the rhythm section comes in. The bass guitar adds an essential layer of clarity, depth, and sheer heaviness. It provides the warped funk”groove that keeps the noise-rock elements grounded in something physical and danceable, in a headbanging kind of way. The beats are cleverly assembled, providing more than just a simple 4/4 pulse. We are talking about a highly dynamic performance filled with well-accentuated breaks, fills, and percussive acrobatics that dictate the pace and the groove. The drums have a massive, room-filling sound that adds incredible depth to the production. Each instrument has its own distinct place and purpose, making the complex arrangements feel intentional rather than accidental.
UPSIDEYERHEAD is a record that demands you to keep your focus, even as it drags you into the weirdest corners of the Philly scene. It’s a raw, one-of-a-kind experience that flourishes in being far from the center. PLQ MRX took the feral energy of their previous incarnation and expanded it into a more lush, expansive, and experimental sound. This material is highly recommended for all those listeners who love their noise rock as experimental and confrontational as possible. It’s a record that rewards repeat spins, as there are always new sonic details, a hidden melody, a warped synth line, or a particularly nasty bass fill, waiting to be discovered in the wreckage. If you want to indulge your listening apparatus and turn on to a sound that you won’t be able to turn off, this is the one. PLQ MRX are out for kicks, and with UPSIDEYERHEAD, they’ve delivered a knockout blow.
