Bad Optics

**Bad Optics** is an Oakland-based powerviolence/noise rock trio bringing sonic chaos to political discontent since their 2015 formation. Featuring members with hardcore pedigrees (including Chris Dodge of Spazz fame), the band delivers blistering short-form eruptions like "The Industry of Death" and "Turnscrews," pairing D-beat ferocity with sardonic critiques of capitalism, imperialism, and modern dystopias. Their recent output—including 2023’s scathing "American Gaullist" EP—maintains their signature mix of feedback-drenched riffs, galloping tempo shifts, and lyrical bile, channeling West Coast DIY ethos through a lens of urgent dissent. Released via trusted underground labels like Iron Lung and Tankcrimes, their catalog doubles as both mosh fuel and radical reading list.