Pipeline-Magazine
UK (Dave Burke)
Zap! From nowhere
comes a release to burn the very wax off your favorite surfboard.
Just when you thought it was safe to take a paddle in the old
briny along come The Apemen with their flame-throwing guitars:
Who are they? How did they get this good? Will there be kippers
for breakfast? All of these questions will be answered in time,
but meanwhile pick yourself up this stunning debut CD. It tears
off with frantic versions of The Creations’ “Crash”
and The Original Surfaris’ “Moment Of Truth” -
doing themselves and the old surf sea-horses proud. Super version
of “Pipeline” with the lead being Dick Daled and taken
at a slower than usual tempo to increase the dramatic tension
inherent in the classic melody. Eight of the titles are penned
by The Apes and excellent they are too. invasion Of The Apemen”
starts off so brilliantly with a clever guitar on guitar build-up
that you wonder how they can follow it when in comes a wall of
thundering Dick Dale style lead guitar that answers no problem.
“Crunch” is inspired by “Caterpillar Crawl”
and burns just as brightly overflowing with lashings of scorching
guitar work - there is even a brief touch of “Wipe Out”
in a drum solo’. Just to show you that they know their stuff.
“Hard And Sole” cops its beginning from “Out Of
Limits” before taking off in a completely new direction
of their own. “Apes Of Spades”. not surprisingly, has
something of Link Wray about it - all resounding chords and a
dark, menacing lead. “Arabian Beachstomp” cheeks out
the action among the downtown pyramids with our heroes surfin’
on the desert sands in true “Miserlou” fashion. “Creature
From The Haunted Sea is a ponderous, atmospheric instro with
some tantalizing sound effects that really do suggest something
quite nasty emerging from the ocean. Lock your door when you
play it. This is a most exciting release, probably the best new
surf music since the heady days of the revival back in the eighties
when Jon & The Nightriders, The Wedge, and The Surf Raiders
were just breaking through. Yes, it has that kind of impact.
If you care about surf you must get this.
KFJC's Phil Dirt
Holland's Apemen are
one of the loudest surf bands around. They live in the garage,
play with the big boys in the shore break, and pummel every competitor.
Their recordings ooze edge and spunk.
CRASH: Screams augment the raging pace as the Apemen pummel the
Creations' ultra rare surf instro. Amped up with major edge and
garage attack, this melodic and powerful tune is further enhanced
by the loudest band on earth and their no holds bared approach.
MOMENT OF TRUTH: The Larry Weed / Original Surfaris' arrangement
of this surf standard is assaulted, shredded, driven to the end
of the pier, and stood on end. Yikes! CRUISIN': This semi slow
original sports a riff like the Meteors might write. It's smooth
and powerful, and employs thundering toms. The ringing guitar
tone is enticing and dangerous. Shallow whammy hints of watery
thoughts while cruisin' along the coastline. Thick and warm,
brooding and foreboding. INVASION OF THE APEMEN: Surf riffology
dripped over an open garage door in the rain, thick and mean,
with a lumbering break and strong drum work. Sheddin' hard, eating
sand for the pleasure.
PIPELINE: A rhythmic glissando opens, yielding to a generic arrangement
with power as the vehicle. The shallow whammies give it a dangerous
edge. The thick sound and power drive tell of double overhead
thrills found under the lip of the curl 30 feet above seabed.
Extra cool. CAMELC*NT: This is not an unusual arrangement of
the Saxons' "Camel Walk." It is a dark and brooding
thunderstorm of vile thoughts of unthinkable diversions. PENETRATION:
This is a relatively standard delivery of the Pyramids' "Penetration,"
until the third verse takes you into near Mermen territory, with
excellent damped plucking. It comes to an unusual shore break
ending. CRUNCH: "Crunch" is one mean surf tune. It's
riff is friendly and in the pocket. The heavy compressed delivery
is perfect for the melody. It may be mostly a riff, but it darn
well grooves. HARD AND SOLE: Using the "Out Of Limits"
riff as an introduction, this quickly becomes an unusual bit
of surf riffery. It's a bit too unmelodic for my taste with it's
two-note riff, but still it sports power and drive. INTOXICA
[INTOXICO]: Bob Hafner's oft covered classic employs power to
separate it from the pack. Lots of spirit, and thick sound. APES
OF SPADES: Big chord riff rock, whammy spiced, thickly textured,
and evil. This is not the Link Wray tune. ARABIAN BEACHSTOMP:
The opening riffs mislead you into expecting another arrangement
of "Moment Of Truth," but you are quickly redirected
into a speedy surf blaster of the garage variety. Powerful and
fluid, big and punchy. CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA: Like an
evil version of something out of Jody Reynolds' worst nightmare,
this oozes danger and morose shadows. Excellent dark power, and
simulated monstrous howling courtesy feedback and reverb kicks.
Hot damn!
Robert J. Dalley,
newsletter#?
Man where did these
guys come from? I will tell you where, The Netherlands! You could
have really fooled me because they sound just like they came
from Huntington Beach, California. What a great CD! I haven't
stopped playing it since i opened it up and put it in the CD
player. This four piece outfit likes to dress up in Star Trek
garb, use buxom women on their CD covers and love to play authentic
surfmusic. From the opening strains of “Crash” the
mood is set, the surf has risin’. The Fender Jazzmaster
has spoken. What am I trying to say here? It is going to be a
lonely summer if you do not pick this one up sometime soon. If
you want to know what track is my favorite, try all thirteen.
There is a 10” vinyl record out with the same tracks without
the bonus cut, but i am glad to have the CD.
Sent in by mail
Awright, it's Friday
and I got more time than usual to kill, so here goes.
I just picked up a couple of garagey-instro things: Shadowy Men
on A Shadowy Planet's Savvy Show Stoppers and the Apemen's Are
You Being Surfed. Mere words do not describe how effin' good
these two items are. The aforementioned, among other things contains
a great cover of Run Chicken Run (not quite so cool though as
the one Iggy did in the live Boston broadcast in 1988, though)
and the immortal Kids In the Hall theme "Having an Average
Weekend." About that Apemen cd: It's pure Raw Power, undiluted
Sonic ecstasy. In religious terms, it is a kratophanic contact
(wow am I looking forward to that primary beer....)
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