Local Review: 0V10amps — 2

0V10amps
2
Self-Released
Street: 02.01.2025
0V10amps = The Doors + hellscape sounds

When SLUG Associate Editor Alton Barnhart assigned me this album to review, he called from across the office, saying, “I’d like to hear your thoughts on this one!” with a menacing glimmer in his eye. When I looked 0V10amps up on Spotify, I saw he had a whopping eight monthly listeners. Count me as monthly listener number nine, because this album completely exceeded any expectations I had from a local artist who had not quite broken through yet. It was evident that frontman Riley Morris put care into creating a polished recording and honing in on his personal sound.

On the surface, 2 is a blend of three 20th-century rock genres that I love: glam metal, psychedelic and punk. But the more I listened, and the more sounds I heard, the more complicated it became: Guitar-strumming that reminds me of old-school Western, groovy moods reminiscent of reggae, a chaotic blend of sound effects that I can’t even compare to anything else… This isn’t just another copy-and-paste indie album that I see being pumped out by artists from the Provo music scene again and again. Some of the most noteworthy characteristics of this record are the variations of speed and the low, smooth, Jim Morrison-esque tone of the artist’s voice.

This album was one of the most interesting listens I’ve had in a while. It starts with “It’s Showtime,” an unassuming beginning to a wild ride. Where “It’s Showtime” is smooth and pleasant, “Ep. Zero” sounds scratchy and scary. Right away, listeners get a sense of the jarring variety and unsettling sound effects that characterize the album, with chimes and children screaming.

The next song is “Bermuda,” which brings the energy down a bit. Just as you cannot rely on this album to be one speed or tone, you cannot rely on it even within individual songs. While “Bermuda” never hits as hard as “Ep. Zero,” it still picks up as the song progresses. It starts with a soft buzzing noise and light vocals, until crashing cymbals work their way in and drown out the lyrics. The vibes stay lowkey going into the next song, “Levar.” I highly recommend listening to this one with earbuds in, as the whooshing noise glides from one ear to the next and makes you feel like there’s static buzzing in your brain.

However, headphone users beware of “The Stove (It’s on).” The instrumentals barge in with no niceties, loud and jarring. The title of this song is apt, as its chaotic, punky sound is an accurate interpretation of what it feels like to possess a mind occupied with intrusive thoughts like “did I leave the stove on?” —- even if you haven’t used the stove in a week. Maintaining the theme of being plagued by mental illness, the next track is titled “ADHD.” The last 20 seconds especially get your heart racing and head spinning in a way that will be familiar to someone who struggles to focus. That unpredictability of speed that Morris does so well makes an appearance, with the song slowing down so much that it comes to a complete stop for a second in the middle.

Maybe this says something basic about me, but the next track, “Soap bubbles,” is my favorite. It’s the least experimental, sounding the most like a typical rock hit. I like the juxtaposition of staccato beats and classic guitar riffs with the low grumbling voice and high-pitched screech, both chanting “Break a bubble!” at the end. It’s rare that I see a new-school artist who can capture that old-school sound so well. This gem is followed by “Bo speaks,” a minute-long song featuring 15-second rap, followed by futuristic whirring sounds and cats meowing.

I almost thought “Bo Speaks” was the ending track to this album (baby, that’s not the half of it!) as the next song, “Don’t Drop the Soap,” took so long to get going. It’s barely audible, ominous sounds for the first 30 seconds. Even after that, it’s more of a blend of fun sounds than a cohesive song. “Moods” stands out because it slows down to a reggae groove. It reminds me of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ “Three Little Birds” or Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” with reassuring lyrics and shakers. I think it’s inevitable that you’ll be swaying your shoulders to this song.

The next few songs were fun, but I’m going to skip ahead to the six-minute-long roller coaster that is “Tourettes.” You can definitely skip the first 45 seconds, which is where it starts to feel like you’re actually listening to something. The track is really slow at first but gets a lot edgier halfway through when the cymbal crashes and chanting of different weapons start to make an appearance. It slows back down again but picks up and up and up until you start to feel a sense of panic coming on. Then that panic attacks, with the frantic ending of the song being a complete 180 from the calm beginning.

The penultimate track, “Lost for a Moment,” starts off pretty slow with soft guitar, but picks up as the song progresses and the erratic, unpredictable drums become the star of the show. Similarly to how “Tourettes” could have started later, this song goes on a little too long. The album ends with “That’s all folks!” which is just a bunch of whooping and hollering followed by “I’ll see you tomorrow” repeated over and over again. While not the best song on the album, I’m impressed by how Morris is able to make it seem as if many voices are involved in this song, despite no one being credited but himself.

If you want an album that’s going to leave you thinking about it for days, stream 2 by 0V10amps. But be warned: You will be taken on a journey at some points pleasant, but at many points deeply uncomfortable. —Braxtyn Birrell

Read more local music reviews:
Local Music Singles Roundup: November 2025
Local Review: The Midnite Judges — Verdict