Complete with some fairly uninhibited acts, sheer racket was served up in spades at the Biltmore Cabaret. To do some warm-up, Brooklyn's These Are Powers showcased their trance-inducing jungle polyrhythms with a hedonistic flair. The three-piece seemed incapable of standing still; conventional stage presence mattered very little to this free-spirited bunch.
And if noise was the order of the day, A Place to Bury Strangers succeeded like few others in their genre can. Promoting Exploding Head, their sophomore full-length, the furious New York shoegazers seemed as intent on deconstructing their own sound as they were keen on building it back up.
Amidst their trademark wailing and reverb-heavy wall of sound, APTBS presented a dark aesthetic, immediately reminiscent of some of the moody, heavier acts that emerged out of the UK in the mid-80's. They let their gloomy yet persuasive tunes speak for themselves. Vocalist/guitarist Oliver Ackermann barely lifted his eyes from the ground, while drummer Jay Space maintained their searing sound with an all too precise backbeat.
A Place to Bury Strangers' live set is something of an explosion. It's penetrating, complete with tripped-out graphics painting the ceiling and seizure-inducing strobes. It makes sense how their hype has evolved, with APTBS rarely allowing for a dull moment as their deafening blasts of distortion led each song.
And if noise was the order of the day, A Place to Bury Strangers succeeded like few others in their genre can. Promoting Exploding Head, their sophomore full-length, the furious New York shoegazers seemed as intent on deconstructing their own sound as they were keen on building it back up.
Amidst their trademark wailing and reverb-heavy wall of sound, APTBS presented a dark aesthetic, immediately reminiscent of some of the moody, heavier acts that emerged out of the UK in the mid-80's. They let their gloomy yet persuasive tunes speak for themselves. Vocalist/guitarist Oliver Ackermann barely lifted his eyes from the ground, while drummer Jay Space maintained their searing sound with an all too precise backbeat.
A Place to Bury Strangers' live set is something of an explosion. It's penetrating, complete with tripped-out graphics painting the ceiling and seizure-inducing strobes. It makes sense how their hype has evolved, with APTBS rarely allowing for a dull moment as their deafening blasts of distortion led each song.
