Fuzz Lightyear – ‘Zero Guilt’ EP review: Honesty in all the noise
Leeds DIY rock group Fuzz Lightyear serve up an offering for their cult following with an EP full of grit, paranoia, and, surprisingly, heart.
The Skinny: Fuzz Lightyear are known for being one of the best live bands on the current UK circuit. On this EP, it’s not hard to see why: opener ‘White and Green’ contains guitars imbued with just the right level of scuzz, as frontman Ben Parry yells, “Again and Again!” addictively.
He makes a good point: While music of this genre usually demands only one listen, for that head-thrashing, fist-bumping, all-encompassing dance, the sound of Fuzz Lightyear demands repeated listens. Take the second track, ‘Sit Awake’, which fuses a sneery unease with more cinematic moments.
There is added texture that elevates the song, a kind you have to listen to twice to notice. As it marches into the hallowed, mercurial disparity of six-minute epic ‘Aberfan’, the EP cements itself as impressive, experimental, and fresh.
A little later, ‘Berlin, 1885’ opens with scratchy, industrial sounds reminiscent of American rock band Model/Actriz, before opening up into doom-like post-rock. Speaking on the project, frontman Ben Parry shared, “These are those songs in their rawest form, the closest to inception they could’ve been.”
It’s easy to hear it once you notice the bite of the guitars, the tender thrash of the drums amidst the heavier breakdowns. It’s as honest as it is loud. That makes for a fiercely gutsy EP in every department. And when coupled with the unapologetic DIY spirit, it feels deeply refreshing.
The Verdict: Zero Guilt is an album born out of the suffocating reality of a COVID lockdown, but it suffers none of the same internal squandering. Instead, a band known for their live sets have proved that they have plenty more noise to make elsewhere.
Defining Track: ‘Sit Awake’
Release date: November 21st, 2025 | Label: NICE SWAN RECORDS | Producer: Alex Greaves
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