There's a rare sonic quality to a band that has played together for a long time, an understanding that sits between the instruments that can distill a song's very essence, making it more than the sum of its strums. It can only come from years in the jam space and on the couch, and the intrinsic closeness of friendship. It's even rarer to find in a high school band. But London, ON's Thunder Queens are no ordinary high school band: already having played together for seven years going into the release of their sophomore album, Deep Below, the trio are fast-tracked to become Canada's next teen sensations with a quick-paced, anthemic rock album reminiscent of Thunderpussy or the Black Keys, the songs landing fast and hard on the jaw, proving they're no gimmick. After all, this band are only young in age: they've already played the 2024 Polaris Music Prize award show with the Beaches, toured with Billy Talent, and worked with Grammy-winning producer Dave Schiffman (PUP). Tegan and Sara are executive-producing a documentary about them. Around their schedule of high school volleyball practices, Thunder Queens also have tour dates with Cancer Bats this fall. This wide array of artistic collaborations explains the trio's ability to go from pop-punk to hardcore with the snap of a snare drum, not unlike fellow teen-breakout stars the Linda Lindas. As a result, Deep Below is an album that feels bombastic without ever veering into glam metal, as full of crunchy riffs and arena-ready choruses as it is teen angst. "Birds on a Wire" feels like Sleater-Kinney doing a Smashing Pumpkins cover, while standout track "One to Follow" opens with a Queens of the Stone Age-style riff before launching into Sabbath from there, with a sing-along chorus that makes it all feel very Thunder Queens. Perhaps the most exciting part of Deep Below is knowing it's merely a glimpse of what's to come: the potential is sky-high, as is the band's growth — both musically and in terms of scope — from their debut. Where 2024's Strike One felt like three friends figuring it out, Deep Below feels like a fully realized vision. It captures the sense of teenage anxiety and the whirlwind of girlhood with the urgency of being that age, balanced out with the carefree attitude of youth. The result is constantly energizing, making up for the few moments of unevenness expected on an early-career album. Growing up has never sounded so punk.