Wednesday, August 19, 2009

REVIEW: A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

8.25 out of 10

"New York's loudest band" are back with another guitar smashing/eardrum destroying/Rock driven Shoegaze behemoth. "Exploding Head" is APTBS second full length album, their first for Mute. Much like their self-titled/independently released debut album, "Exploding Head" is filled to the brim with loud guitar effects, angsty male vocals, live drums (arena sized) mixed with drum machines, and that "PUNCH" of noise that makes A Place To Bury Strangers stand out as one of the best bands you could ever experience live.

"Exploding Head" formula; 1 guitarist/vocalist who fabricates his own distortion pedals/has an obsession with experimental guitar effects + Shoegaze & Industrial aesthetics + AWESOME drumming (both human and electronic) + enough loud Rock noises to piss off every neighbor on your block = one of the best releases of 09. "Exploding Head" is exactly how I would want APTBS to elevate their music to the next level. I wasn't sure where they would take it... Stronger production? More noise? Less noise?? By following all of these paths they have created one of the darkest, most rockin' Shoegaze albums I have heard in a LOOONG time. Like a darker/heavier Jesus And Mary Chain with unreasonable (which is a good thing) amounts of loud distortions. Ok A Place To Bury Strangers, you've got my full on attention from this point on.. This is without a doubt one of the loudest/best/soon to be overlooked "Rock" albums from this decade.

If you haven't heard A Place To Bury Strangers yet pull yourself out from under that lame rock and destroy your ear buds with the amazing-ness that is. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. You'll have to excuse me now, my ears are ringing....

Standout Tracks: It Is Nothing, In Your Heart, Lost Feeling, Deadbeat (I remember hearing this song live and being blown away), Ego Death, Everything Always Goes Wrong

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