CONTENT WARNING: Sexual violence, sexual assault, and discussions of trauma.

When is art successful? That’s obviously meant to be a ridiculous rhetorical question. But Vancouver quartet PISS — vocalist/lyricist Taylor Zantingh, guitarist Tyler Patterson, bassist Gavin Moya, and drummer Garreth Roberts — and their debut album you made me / skin on linen , have got me thinking some big, ridiculous things. Why do a gnarled scream and grating guitars sound so good? Why do we turn pain into sound? Why do we feel pain? Why do we inflict pain? What do I get from seeing someone else’s pain? These are only a very minute fraction of the difficult questions that PISS’ music brings to mind.

you made me / skin on linen stopped me in my tracks. It’s an assemblage of guttural yells, engrossing poetry, samples of feminist thinkers and activists, grueling bass, unyielding drums, and landmine guitars.…