It’s hard to believe it’s only been a year and change since Boy King took the San Diego scene by storm. In that time, they were nominated for a Best New Artist SDMA, released their first album, were forced to change their name by some dipshit, and got another SDMA nomination.

That would be plenty to keep most people busy, but the tireless band is already set to release its sophomore album, Master, on August 20. Is the record’s title one of respectful subservience to a third party, or is it a chest-thumping proclamation of self-confidence? Judging by the heavy-hitting precision that permeates the album’s 32 minutes, it’s the latter. Guitarist Dustin Lothspeich’s riffs are as sharp and crunchy as ever, like a mouthful of broken glass you’re forced to chew at gunpoint. Drummer Adam Eidson continues to be the band’s unsung hero, cooly laying down beats that flit seamlessly from brisk hi-hat flutters to window-shattering sonic booms and back again.

And then there’s the hard-rocking trio’s not-so-secret weapon, Megan Liscomb. The frontwoman’s vocals have never sounded better than they do on Master, and that’s saying something. Liscomb has always excelled at hormonal belting, but she’s added several new tools to her arsenal. There’s the staccato mewing on “Get Ugly,” the melodic catchiness of “Forever We Run,” and the puckered squealing of “Baby,” which finds Liscomb sounding like the unsupervised love child of Le Tigre’s Kathleen Hanna and The New Kinetics’ Birdy Bardot.

Boy King are celebrating the release of Master with a special show at the Casbah on Saturday, August 17. They’ll be joined by The Burning of Rome, Hills Like Elephants, and Gloomsday — and that’s a lineup you really, really, really, don’t want to miss. Get your tickets here, dummy.

And while you’re waiting to be blown away by that show, feast your ears on our latest guest-curated podcast, which was put together by none other than Boy King themselves.