LA hard rock duo Satellite Citi return with an explosive second single from their upcoming debut EP, Negative Space. “Pyramid” is an anthemic expose, heralding the end of mind-control and delusion, or at least the arrival of a stirring new musical phenomenon.

A cappella intro harmonies drop into an adrenaline-fueled instrumental buildup. Singer/drummer Anna Gevorkian channels Meg White in her four-on-the-floor kick and tambourine beat. Backed by guitarist Shaunt Sulahian’s propulsive heavy metal riffs, her melodic lead vocals swell with defiance in the pattern of Resistance-era Muse.

Substitute some of Matt Bellamy and Co.’s classical underpinnings with a no-frills foundation, and you’ve got a Satellite Citi arrangement. But that’s just as well; producer Brad Wood, whose heavier album credits include mewithoutyou and Touché Amoré, knows how to make a little go a long way. “Pyramid”’s infectious riff nearly falls short of carrying the track through it’s last minute, but buoyant backing vocals and well-executed breakdowns make a strong case for the group’s approach.

There’s no payoff moment as defining as Gevorkian’s chorus belting on previous single “Undead,” but Satellite Citi continue to deliver satisfyingly punchy less-is-more music that sweeps you up in its stadium revolutionary spirit. Above all, it’s an exciting sound, and the full EP can’t arrive soon enough.

Be as skeptical as you want about the political efficacy of arena-grade hard rock, but at the end of the day, it does rock hard, and that’s a special kind of revolution all on its own.

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