APTBS' debut album was a collection of different EPs and singles recorded over a number of sessions; as such it was a bit rough and ready in terms of recording quality. With this follow-up, they have done their songs more justice in the studio. They have further cemented their position as New York’s loudest band but they have moved beyond simple volume wars. Under the distortion and feedback are solid songs that are as infectious as the H1N1 but no way as unpleasant.
Initially, I feared that the band was going to be retreading old ground on Exploding Head. The guitar solo on “In Your Heart” bears a striking resemblance to the one on “Missing You” from their first album but my qualms were quickly allayed. The rest of the album represents a big jump in both quality and range for the group. The songs “Lost Feeling” and “Everything Always Goes Wrong” take the dark heart of Joy Division and transplant it into a still living body. Cold, uneasy guitar stabs punctuate stark rhythms as Oliver Ackermann’s fraught lyrics paint a picture of isolation. Of course, all of this is delivered with a generous dose of energy and the performances on this album are nothing short of electric. What stands out most on Exploding Head is the seriously blistering guitar work. With Ackermann’s expertise in effects pedals, it is little surprise that the sounds used here are quite unique. The fuzz that coats each guitar shriek on “Ego Death” feels like it can strip the paint off walls and force the fillings out of my teeth.
Far and away the best thing about this album is the immense closing track, “I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadows of Your Heart.” It combines all the catchiness and intensity that permeates their music and condenses it into the definitive APTBS song. While it begins like any other song of theirs they keep upping their game during its duration. The pummelling beat and jet plane engine guitar brings the album to its climax before dropping the listeners down, exhausted and exhilarated. Even if every other song on this album was awful (they’re not), Exploding Head would still be one of my top albums of the year based on this track alone.
Unlike their earlier recordings, the production on this album fully captures how full and mighty A Place to Bury Strangers are in real life (all that is needed now to recreate the live experience at home is a strobe light and flicking the light switch on and off DOESN’T work). Exploding Head is a huge step up from their debut and leaves little doubt they will reap the benefits of the increased exposure their record on Mute can bring. Judging from these 10 songs, they have the goods and the talent to make the most of these circumstances.
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