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[one_half last=”yes”]A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
Transfixiation
Release-Date:17.02.2015
Label: Dead Oceans
Tracklist:
1. Supermaster
2. Straight
3. Love High
4. What We Don’t See
5. Deeper
6. Lower Zone
7. We’ve Come So Far
8. Now It’s Over
9. I’m So Clean
10. Fill The Void
11. I Will Die
NBHAP Rating: 3,8/5
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Kidnapping Lady Liberty
An essential part of A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS is Oliver Ackermann’s profession: his effect pedal manufacture Death By Audio is one of the most distinct around, just ask THE EDGE. Thus, his band-project always feels like a pretty liberating outlet for Ackermann’s musical passion. Commercial success and/or public expectations are nothing that these guys have to care about. Transfixiation is their fourth record already, following 2012’s Worship. And in a constant and unswerving manner, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS kidnap Lady Liberty for a psychedelic ride through the night. Be their guest.
Out Of Time And Out Of Place
Although A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS somehow missed the peak of the whole post punk/noise revival, they still somehow fit in. Especially these days in which bands like THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN report back in row. Take the distorted beauty of those shoegaze-influences, a slice of SHELLAC and add some post-punk beats, delivered from live drummer Robi Gonzalez’ first album appearance, and there you go: Transfixiation. A sound of their own is enough for this band, who cares if there’s a big market for it right now.
Emotional tour de force
What strikes the most about this record is the range of feelings that the music evokes. Deeper mumbles a threatening ‘If You Fuck With Me, You’re Gonna Burn’ while We’ve Come So Far reflects on optimism and how many great things are achieved on a daily basis. Transfixiation presents APTBS oscillating within the complete range of human sentiment. Anger, thankfulness, love, passion, despair – it’s all in there. It’s in the cricked beats, the brutal distortions, the massive reverb on the voice. It’s a hell of a ride and it will twist your nerves, but hey, that’s basically what we expect from A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS.
With their fourth full-length A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS fulfill the expectations. The nerve-twisting tour de force of ‘Transfixiation’ is not surprising but still feels awfully good.