A Place to Bury Strangers

It makes complete sense that Oliver Ackermann (vocalist and guitarist for Brooklyn three-piece A Place to Bury Stranger) builds custom guitar effect pedals under the company name Death by Audio. With clients ranging from My Bloody Valentine to Lightning Bolt and U2, Ackermann has become the de facto cheerleader in the noise-drenched guitar revival. Exploding Head, A Place to Bury Strangers' second LP, comes off as more than just an avenue for Ackermann to display some of his twisted creations. Songs like "In Your Heart" and "Keep Slipping Away" skilfully weave screeching feedback, crusty guitar and engaging melodies in a way that still sounds heady a quarter-century after Psychocandy blew minds. The songs on Exploding Head stand on their own partly due to Andy Smith's (David Bowie, Mariah Carey) treble-charged production, which helps draw the songs out from beneath the musical swamp, awarding Exploding Head repeat listens long after the novelty of its pure volume subsides.