Not unlike the San Francisco band's previous incarnation as Victim's Family - one of punk rock's great subterranean acts of the late '80s and early '90s - the Hellworms fuse a caustic, nihilistic attitude with intensely musical chops. Among all the practitioners of riff-heavy sonic aggression, there's not many in their class. Of course, this singularity not only sets them apart from the thousands of sheeplike, so-called punk rock groups on the planet, but also alienates them from thousands of sheeplike, so-called punk rock fans. But after a 14-year performance and recording career with zero above-ground recognition, these guys harbor no illusions, firing up their debut album with saucy, cynical upbraidings. While it's sometimes difficult to distinguish the group's sincere and confrontational lyrics from their ironic and self-deprecating ones, the trio's musical intentions are never ambiguous. If you can stand the heat, come along for the ride.