Catching Up With 2014-Rape Blossoms:"Ruinenlust"

It's easy to  understand why this Belgian  band's lp sold out long ago, it takes on post-punk from a place that captures a hypnotic elements other bands in this genre don't capitalize on. The album opens up with a dense garage rock number that place the emphasis on the straight forward nature of punk as they drone ahead on one riff, but have a drugged out enough sound to make it interesting The second song is just as up beat as the first. In some ways it sounds like fast shoe-gaze more than post-punk, and perhaps that is what shoe gaze really is if we want to dissect definitions and count coke straws.

Normally I prefer a little more production value , but these guys make this sound work. In fact I can't imagine this album recorded any other way. For all the squeaking buzz of feedback, there is something endearing, even if the bass could stand to push through a little more in places. The vocals that are largely monotone are buried more often than not, they come through clearer on the more hushed tension of "VHS". The angular nature of this song makes it stand out from the more straight ahead start the album got off to. "VHS" Proves the band is capable of taking dynamic twists and turns and their drummer is pretty fucking good when he wants to be.

They get even more experimental on "Egging Voices" . The vocals come to the fore front but with a haze of effects covering them. One thing about this album is it's post-punk with out many traces of goth to it. It is dense and slightly a downer , but not dark. The fuzzed out, blown out speaker rumble of  "Slow Breath" , has more of a punk feel to it, despite it's slower clamor. The album closes out with "In the Red".  At almost 11 minutes this song  takes on a more Swans like feel in the free form way it builds into a psychedelic swirl. It swells into almost a Kraut rock kinda thing. Though all of the long winded drone does pay off in the end.  

I'l give this one a 9.5, the rough hewn effort always shows promise even in the sparse moments that didn't connect as much with others, the drone could have been more condense for what these guys are doing since they aren't in fact the Swans, who proved even on their new album that too much of a good thing... well you know. I'm still on the hunt for a download of this album to call my own, so far their Sound Cloud is the only way to go, if someone finds a upload/ download, drop me a link in the comments. Thanks.