Release
date: November 20th
2015. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Coalition
Of The Unwilling – Tracklisting
1.
Crushed From Within 4:28
2.
Disband 3:47
3.
Give What You Get 3:11
4.
Under This Face 4:02
5.
Ape’n’Stein 4:57
6.
Never My Way 4:54
Band
Members:
Caleb
Heinze – Vocals
Ian Watts - Guitar
Brian True - Bass
Damon De La Paz - Drums
Ian Watts - Guitar
Brian True - Bass
Damon De La Paz - Drums
Review:
Ape
Machine has existed for more than 5 years and the monkeys have in
this relative short time span managed to put out an impressive
catalogue of quality releases. Ever since their first two
self-released albums ‘This House Has Been Condemned’ and ‘War
To Head’ Ape Machine has been slinging their own take on classic
heavy, blues, stoner and 70s rock straight at us. Although recording
it all in an analogue manner they have somehow always managed to be
relevant and quite modern sounding resulting in an enticing musical
product that both the old guard and the selfie-generation can relate
to.
3rd
album saw Ape Machine maturing and broadening their scope with
regards to both song writing, consolidating their sound and placing
even more focus on the heavy parts, the complex interplay the
musicians in between and furthermore deepening the groove. This
one-song monster (cut up into 10-subdivisions) also secured them a
label deal with Ripple Music that released ‘Mangled By The Machine’
in 2013 to much praise reviewers and fans alike.
Coalition
Of The Unwilling is the fourth and latest outing from these stoner
blues grove mongers and at the same time their first on Italian
trailblazer label Heavy Psych Sounds. So what does this constellation
of a band that is renowned for never missing a tone or misplacing a
beat teaming up with a label that seem to be on a one-way flight to
grandeur?
For
the first, the baboons seem to have taken the term ‘Psych’ to
heart on their new EP, that has a clear psychedelic touch on several
of the songs. Next, the execution of the songs are second to none,
all are expertly performed and not one paw put wrong, but still with
somewhat of a more loose feel to the tracks. COTU is just an EP and
albeit short (just little over 25 minutes) with regard to running
time, but what it lacks in quantity it tenfold makes up for in
quality. What we get here is grade-A top shelf stoner rockery metal
grooves in abundance. The riffs are aplenty; the guitar tone is
thick, warm and vibrant; the vocals are over-the-top; the bass is
tight and the groove even tighter.
Knowing
this is a short-runner, the apes waste no time, and after short
ambient intro sounding like an airplane taking off the machine is put
into full motion with Crushed From Within constituted of one of the
fattest grooves I have heard all year. This is classic Ape Machine
blues stoner groove metal and a prime example on how to move some
serious muscle. It is hard to decide what features to highlight from
this track as it appears like one solid entity of sonic excess.
However, if anything the bass works at play here need a separate
mention as now and then the bass lines meander off from the übertight
interlock with the drumming and creates short leads somewhere in the
empty spaces left by the sparkling drumming.
Up
next ‘Disband’ leaves the starting blocks in a high pace kicking
up dust and sand in its trail. A nice extra flavor to this track is
the presence of some sweet sounding organ adding a little southern
tinge in the corner of the mouth. Let us not forgot that the monkeys
have one foot firmly rooted in the blues, and while Caleb wails and
croons: “We will not be moved” it is nearly impossible as a
listener to sit still while enjoying the groove party taking place
just on the other site of the speakers.
Third
track is yet another up-tempo rocker, blasting off into classic metal
territory with blasting guitars and 80s metal riffery, still with
that undeniable ape’y-sound. With ‘Give What You Get’ Ape
Machine opts for a more straight forward rocking sound and a more
simple drum pattern, but be not mistaken, there is never a dull
moment during this 3 minute race.
Track
4 ‘Under This Face’ is the track that align most with sound and
expression found on ‘Mangled By The Machine’. Anything that comes
just vaguely close to that album is gold standard rock in my book.
This track has it all; signature singing, insistent groove, thick
fuzzy riffs, soaring leads and a rhythm section tighter than an old
English librarian’s rectum. Ape Machine moves around touching all
corners of interests in heavy, hard rock, like a bunch of naughty
monkeys keen to entertain all your musical senses at once.
On
‘Ape’n’Stein’ an all instrumental track Ape Machine goes out
on a limb in a jazzy freak-out that at time reminds me of a heavy
version of contemporary jazzers in Galactic. This track is complete
with progressive, improv-like drumming, flares of white guitar light
that blisters in all directions, and all the time with a tight bass
bottom keeping all the madness in place. This is genius-ly
orchestrated chaos, just like if Albert Einstein was to lead a pack
of crazy gorillas stampeding through a musical instrument store.
Final
track ‘Never My Way’ starts of as an updated version of ‘Stairway
To Heaven’ just to explode into a fuzzy version of Bedlam in
Goliath section 3 minutes in. What sort of audacity to pull such a
mix of influences from 70s heavy blues rock to 90s freak, progressive
metal in little under 5 minutes, some feat of strength and a great
example of the sheer musicianship at play inside the Ape Machine
(moniker for reel to reel).
Ape
Machine gets the job done more than well on ‘Coalition of the
Unwilling’ and I wonder what sort of monkey business, they decide
to amuse us with next time on a possible future full length. One
thing is certain; it is bound to be one hell of fun.
Words
by Niels Fuzz Bartholdy
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Coalition Of The Unwilling
is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Heavy Psych Sounds now.
