Friday, July 3, 2009

The Reunited Heavy Metal States of Apa State Mental



Review of Apa State Mental's new album from CD Baby

author: Brad at CD Baby
20 tracks. The longest one doesn't even clock in at two and a half minutes. The first one is called "Eaten By Hippies." The guitars: fuzzy. The vocals: distorted. The songs: aggressive, often incendiary. These are all good things. Fittingly, these chaps from Sweden crank out some really good garage-ified rock. Still not sure if I fully understand the band's name, but that's not important. What is important is the way this group can switch on a whim – between the controlled melodic stomp of "A.P.A." and the frenzied charge of "Jacob's Inferno," a sub-60-second track that punches you in the gut and then runs away before you catch your breath. While the guitar tones and the vocal approaches remain fairly consistent during these 20 numbers, it's what the guys do within those confines that makes this disc so impressive. "Kids on Mars" uses a rolling bassline for its backbone, while "Hardly A Sane Man's Wallpaper" finds the guitar frantically warbling, running the show. This is a full-bore, straight shot of unfettered rock. Get into it.

Click here to purchase Apa State Mental's album

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