A coalition that does work.
The clue is in the name. Ape Machine is a nod to the old reel to reel tape recorders from back in the day. And although laziness dictates we have to give things genres – even their own PR does it – and Ape Machine will get called “stoner” you can basically ignore that.
What Ape Machine have proved over the last few years – and this six track mini album follows on from their equally stellar live set earlier this year – is that they are just a classic rock band playing classic rock extremely well.
Evidently they would quite like to be Led Zeppelin, that much is crystal clear from the opener “Crushed From Within” which begins with an enormous riff and gets more gargantuan from there – but by the middle it’s meandering along, having a look around as Caleb Heinze lets rip in his best Robert Plant over wonderful bluesy, fuzzy guitar work from Ian Watts.
It’s no fluke either, as “Disband” occupies the same type of hinterland and adds a touch of bravado for good measure, while the swirling – and quite fabulous – authenticity of “Give What You Can Get” which has a kind of thumping Sabbath like quality, is essentially the perfect three minute rock song.
There’s no let up on quality elsewhere either. There’s a primal rumble to “Under This Face” as the rhythm section of bass man Brian True and Damon De La Paz mesh to fine effect, creating a hypnotic feel, and if you always suspected that Ape Machine would quite like it if songs weren’t four minutes long and would actually prefer to jam to their hearts content, then the instrumental “Ape’N’Stein” goes some way to proving it.
This brilliant collection gets the end it deserves too. “Never My Way” gives off the vibe that it could turn into “Dazed And Confused” at a moments notice, it is a magnificent, blues, jazz and heavy rock fusion song that gives full voice to everything Ape Machine are.
“Coalition Of The Unwilling” is a wonderful reflection of where the four piece are right now, both musically themselves, and you’d guess what they enjoy too. It’s one of the best mini albums of 2015.
Rating 9/10
