Hear Pest Control prove why they’re the UK’s most hyped young thrash band with scrappy new single Time Bomb

Pest Control in 2024
(Image credit: Joe Steven Hart)

UK thrashers Pest Control have released a new single called Time Bomb.

The two-minute barnstormer is taken from the Leeds five-piece’s upcoming EP, Year Of The Pest. The EP is due to come out in the autumn via Quality Control Records and Triple B Records.

Pest Control formed in 2020 and released their self-titled demo on Bandcamp that September. The four-song collection was a sleeper hit on the streaming site and followed by a double A-side single, Infestation / Rat Race, in April 2021.

The band’s crossover thrash was inspired by the likes of Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies, as they explained in a recent Kerrang! Interview.

“We’re not gonna pretend we’re some evil, dark band,” said drummer Ben Jones. “Bands like Suicidal Tendencies and Anthrax had such a fun vibe about them, and that was definitely a big influence.”

Vocalist Leah Massey added: “We always get complimented on how happy we all look when we’re playing live. No evil vibes from Pest Control – it’s all smiles!”

Pest Control released their full-length debut album, Don’t Test The Pest, in 2023. That same year, Metal Hammer named them as one of the 10 up-and-coming thrash metal bands every self-respecting metalhead should listen to.

“Quite conceivably the single most exciting band in the UK right now, Pest Control are the crossover thrash band your mum warned you about – principally to protect the furniture,” wrote journalist Dom Lawson.

“Renowned for inciting limb-threatening mayhem at live shows, Leeds’ finest released their  debut album, Don’t Test The Pest, earlier this year. It’s extremely hard to listen to it without smashing something, but listen to it we do anyway. Circle pit!”

Pest Control have shared the stage with Kreator and performed at Desertfest London in May. The band were one of several who pulled out of Download festival this year to protest the sponsorship of Barclays, who’ve invested in companies supplying weapons and military technology to Israel.

Time Bomb - YouTube Time Bomb - YouTube
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Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.