If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz No one can use a synthesizer like a noise instrument like A Place to Bury Strangers do. Their latest single, "Fear of Transformation," has so many of the elements of being a techno song. It's digital and has a beat you'll find it hard not to dance to. But everything else in the song is a whirlwind of noise and aggression. Some people will surely find this to be a tough listen, but that is the A Place to Bury Strangers way. If you love some (ok, more than some) chaos in your music, this one is for you. It's absurdly loud and dissonant, and kind of sounds like maybe three or four Depeche Mode songs put into a blender. In other words, we're loving this one. Oliver Ackermann says of his band's latest song: "Sometimes fear builds up and pins you in a cage. A conversation occurs in my head where I have to convince myself to just fucking do something to break out of it." You can watch the video for "Fear of Transformation"...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz The musical stylings of A Place to Bury Strangers can be referred to as "chaotic," and that aptly describes their latest single. "Bad Idea" washes over you with a swirling wall of dissonance and noise. It's fuzz and electronic feedback over what could almost be a pop song. The drums are holding everything together, and the vocals are pretty standard for a garage rock song. However, the rest of the song is pure chaos with synths sounding like they're about to erupt and guitars sounding like they're in horrific pain. "Bad Idea" is not background or chill out music. A Place to Bury Strangers are demanding your full attention with this one. Oliver Ackermann says of his band's latest single: "[Bassist John Fedowitz] came to the studio with a simple looping drum beat, thinking he didn’t have any good ideas—thus, the song was his ‘bad idea.  We each penned some lines on paper, and he sang the ones that resonated. After a ...

Noise rock legends A Place to Bury Strangers have a new single out that lands squarely in what we expect from them, but only because they have such a wide range of sound. "You Got Me" sounds more like darkwave than we're used to from the trio, but darkwave from A Place to Bury Strangers isn't exactly a pure representation of the genre. They've somehow made darkwave even darker and added a lot more noise. It's jangly and foreboding, without the aggression you typically hear from them. It's a little less noisy and a bit more straightforward, but sometimes that's the best way for A Place to Bury Strangers to surprise you. Oliver Ackermann says of his band's latest single: "The ' Synthesizer' in this track is used to create almost flute-like additions to the guitar line. It also creates the sound of a backwards car crash, simulating my heart stopping." You can watch the video for "You Got Me" below. Synthesizer is due out O...

Photo by Ibru Yildiz New York noise legends A Place to Bury Strangers are moving away from their Sevens singles series to release a new album in October. The first single off the album, "Disgust," is classic A Place to Bury Strangers. It just hits you in the face with a monster wall of sound, and then barrels over you. It sounds like a mixture of the fuzz and noise of Sonic Youth along with the industrial aggression of Nine Inch Nails. "Disgust" is a huge song that is quite obviously not meant for the masses. A Place to Bury Strangers have always been for a more niche audience, but if you belong to that niche, this one is going to melt your face clean off. Oliver Ackermann says of his band's new single:  “‘Disgust’ is a song I wrote that was inspired by the way I used to perform ‘Got That Feeling,’ a song by my old band Skywave. There was a long riding open note on the bass that enabled me to play the whole part with my fist in the air.  I wrote this song just o...