Review: Dead Sea Apes - Soy Dios

Back in the day, some 5 or so years ago a fresh faced group of lads in Manchester released their debut EP to a smattering of applause...that group of lads have now grown into grizzled veterans (I reserve the right to exercise hyperbole without due care and attention to make a point...the guys are not particularly grizzled) with some exceptionally well received releases under their collective belt. I am, of course, referring to Dead Sea Apes, a band beloved of this blog. The debut EP, 'Soy Dios', is receiving a well-deserved re-release in vinyl format via the combined forces of Cardinal Fuzz and Sky Lantern Records in the US. I always feel a bit of a fraud when reviewing DSA - they could release an album of Britney Spears Karoake covers via the medium of ukelele and Mongolian throat singing and I'd probably still rave about it....ho hum, such is life. Anyway, needless to say 'Soy Dios' is a remarkable musical document, signifying the start of the inexorable rise to 'cult' heroes in the psych scene, especially here in the UK.

'Soy Dios' consists of four tracks labelled 'Soy Dios' I - IV and starts with shimmering cymbals before the trademark Brett Savage guitar lays down some sun-fried twang and immediately we are transported to the arid prairies of the mid-west. It slowly grows until it becomes a pummeling instrumental monster full of attitude and power; the twang is still there but, with the megolithic drumming of Chris Hardman and the pulsating bass of Nick Harris, 'I' becomes a monumental stoner track...desert rock as it was supposed to sound i.e. from the desert. 'II' is heralded by an eerie drone with some more effulgent cymbals and extended guitar chords and straightaway a palpable tension and a sense of foreboding is introduced. The thing that I've always really liked about DSA is their ability to conjure visions and landscapes just through their music, and 'Soy Dios' shows that this has always been an intrinsic factor...'II' puts you elsewhere...outside of one's normal environment and into a sand-blasted vista with the vultures circling and the bleached skeletons of cattle scattered around...it's powerful stuff indeed. From its almost ethereal start it builds and builds..you can almost hear the electricity sparking from the guitar and the bass is deep and heavy....until it becomes a glorious thing of structural proportions. 'III' opens with another drone..piercing and incessant....that once again sets a doom-laden scene...like that scene in a horror film that leaves you shouting 'don't go down the cellar'. The drone wavers and oscillates and is joined by some suitably ghostly guitar that grows throughout the track...not in the igneous manner of the first two tracks, but more controlled and focused, concentrating on atmosphere rather than power. I love this track...it has a vibe all of its own...spectral and haunting. 'IV' initially takes its cue from 'III'..the guitar once again evocative and accompanied by simple but effective bassline and drums. There is a industrial hum to be heard in the background that gets louder throughout, adding a touch of urban dystopia to the wind-worn vistas thus far. For me this is the standout track...it has the arid,twangy guitarwork that conjures up so much but the addition of a pseudo-industrial element lends it a more experimental edge and results in a track that absolutely ticks all the boxes for this reviewer.

It should come as no surprise that I love this record! It shows beautifully that DSA have always been a creative and intelligent group, willing to plough their own musical furrow. The soundscapes they produce are at once beautiful and disturbing, the visions they evoke can be tranquil or filled with dread. Spot on! I've been au fait with the EP for years now, but the treatment from Cardinal Fuzz and Sky Lantern (Nik from The Myrrors label....and you can see why this appealed to Nik..the same feelings and vistas elicited by this record are the same as those from The Myrrors top-draw output) will give it the greater exposure it surely deserves. It will be available on vinyl from Sept 30th via Cardinal Fuzz and Sky Lantern (and I believe, but don't quote me on this, that there may be a limited number of tapes). Pre-orders are now up