All Hail
Just like waiting for a London bus, you wait for what seems like ages for a new studio release from A Place To Bury Strangers when hot on the heels of the recently released EP Onwards To The Wall comes a brand new full length album Worship.
Firstly it should be said if you have already checked out the New York trio and decided that they are not your thing then this album is not going to make you see the light, so move along and go read your copy of Smash Hits or Look-In (younger readers - ask your parents).
For those that appreciate great rocking, alternative, dream-pop, shoegaze, hard hitting music with its effects and distortion turned all the way up to 11 then APTBS is the band for you. There is very little variation in the style of music compared to predecessors A Place To Bury Strangers and Exploding Head but there is a more creative and experienced feel to Worship. There is even the added bonus of an extra track, Worship can boast 11 tracks compared to the measly 10 on the other two previous releases.
Oliver Ackermann's creativity in both making and using pedals is already reaching legendary status and Worship enhances that reputation quite considerably.
Kicking off with Alone and we are immediately reminded just how explosive APTBS songs are, coupling with Oliver Ackermann's dreamy vocals and for any fan it is clear this album will be a highly enjoyable listen. Tracks like Why Can't I Cry Anymore, Revenge and Leaving Tomorrow carry the explosive feel on later on in the album too. The added creativity and experience shows in tracks like You Are The One and Dissolved as, without alienating their full on feel to the tracks, are happy to experiment with slower and catchier tracks but be warned the ending of the predecessor is very experimental.
The only gripe we can come up with on Worship is the length of time you hear anything on Dissolved, 25 seconds of silence at the start of a track is just a tad too long, even for any arty reasons. However, it speaks volumes that this is the only negative thing that we can come up with.
A Place To Bury Strangers bring their awesome live show back to the UK in September, which all in all makes it a great time to be a fan, old or new, of this trio.