After two albums, two 7” records, opening for Liars in 2006 (no, not the current Pitchfork-fodder Liars, stop that, the cool “Drum’s Not Dead” Liars), and the departure of their lead singer, DC-area band Apes have branded their own blend of psychedelic stomp-rock.
The Apes’ new larynx-thrasher, Breck Brunson, is filling the shoes of long-time vocalist Paul Weil, who left in 2005 to start a family after being undyingly committed to the band for six years. Fortunately, this change hasn’t tempered with the band’s ‘70s influences (Deep Purple), contemporary ties to the current indie-rock scene (Les Savy Fav), nods to fuzz-rock (The Kills), or weird, unpredictable segues (Coil).
You know? Even to make the kids happy and to catch your eye, I’ll reference the slower moments of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s 2006 record, Show Your Bones.
The Apes show a genuine willingness to experiment, as most of this record was the end result of many garage jams. Freak synthesizer blasts, epically-powered drums, furry bass growls, deafening organ murk and sludgy undertones – unburdened by what would otherwise be over-sleeked guitars and ego-feeding solos – form a bomb of a record that both grooves and bangs.
The Apes’ biography on their Web site says it best: “This overdriven rock assault drives forward as tales of conquest, social alienation, and a perverse spiritual kinship with the universe become trance-inducing incantations.”
Good job, Apes.
0 Responses to “Review: Apes – “Ghost Games””