With a name like Death Valley, one would assume early cartographers were actively deterring people from its boundaries. It’s now recognized as an ecosystem with its own unique beauty and wonder, though it’s not without its element of danger. That landscape is a fitting reference for LA’s blazing rock troupe Death Valley Girls, whose particular blend of garage punk, proto-metal, and communal music drapes an air of occult mystery and white-hot energy over an underlying celebration of life and vitality. Their 2020 album Under the Spell of Joy was the clearest distillation of the band’s ongoing mission—creating a sound that was both riotous and transcendental, brimming with positivity even as it navigated dark melodies and rowdy riffs. That said, Death Valley Girls felt fully realized the moment they appeared on the scene and never lost track of their initial daredevil energy. Their debut album, 2014’s Street Venom, was given only a modest roll-out consisting of a small run of cassettes, but the songs were so infectious that they continue to be staples in the band’s live set. For the first time, Street Venom is receiving its proper due with a Deluxe Edition courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records.

A1. No Reason
A2. Sanitarium Blues
A3. Arrow
A4. Get Home
A5. Shadow
A6. Gettin' Hard
B1. Paradise Blues
B2. Run Run Rocky
B3. Red Glare
B4. Girlfriend
B5. Electric High