Band: PABST
EP: Skinwalker
Label: CrazySane Records
Release date: 11 November
Sounds like: nu-space-grunge-pop
From the label that brought you noise-grunge bastards HEADS. and the savage guitar/drum party jams of Closet Disco Queen, emerges more riotous, jet-fuelled sounds to get your ears around. PABST are three lads from Germany making the kind of teeth-shaking racket you would expect. Strong elements of Ty Segall pulsate through this, especially the title track, Skinwalker; sloshed in echoing vocal-reverb, slamming grunge-punk riffs, pyshcaedlic yowls and a snarling, lip-curl of disgust. Props to the point around 2:09ish where it sounds like someone has queued up a load of toy laser guns and pressed all the buttons at once – now that’s how you do a guitar solo. (It’s probably effects pedals, but that’s no fun.)
Opening track Bias, is sunshine pop-grunge, clattering tambourines, bright melodies and brings to mind the joyful tunage of Cable35 (remember them?) There’s a real sense of ‘dream-pop’ on the lush swirl of Members Only; the shoegaze-strings, 80s space-rock melodic burn (think Duran Duran in places, seriously) and soothing, breathy-tone of vocalist Erik Heise, capturing a different side to this odd-ball sounding trio. Ocean Cruise is perhaps the standout track on Skinwalker – shunning everything else in the PABST sound, this fights its way back into the realm of 1998-2000, swinging a broadsword made of nu-gaze grunge punk, hacking through sinewy necks with every wild stroke and flailing limb. Sounding like a cross between Polythene-era Feeder (when they wrote fucking good songs) and elements of a certain sub-pop grunge band – this is quite special indeed. There’s a bit of No Age slacker-rock on the slovenly Watching People Die; which grinds and churns along a path of grumbling, twisted noise and a chewy, gnawing bassline, before ending in a ear-shredding wail of white-noise and feedback.
Skinwalker peels back and reveals PABST and their raw, uncomplicated sound – there’s lots to carve and pluck out from this 5-track EP – it’s a strong and bright start for this Berlin trio, give them a try.
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