CD Reviews
Golden Apes - Kasbek | Review
Golden Apes - Kasbek
June 2019
Aenaos Records
Golden Apes released their 10th full length, "Kasbek"
Golden Apes are offering their emotional dark gothic music to the dark souls and gothic rock fans for two decades now. These twenty years have given us some really great moments from the Berlin based Goth rockers, with their first full length album, "Stigma 3:am", being released back in 2000. 20 years later and after 9 full length albums of great gothic music and darkness, Golden Apes returned this year with their new album, "Kasbek".
Golden Apes formed back in 1998 and the band's members are Peer Lebrecht, Christian Lebrecht, Aris Zarakas, Gunter Büchau and "Kasbek" is the essence of the band´s last two years and, at the same time, an analysis of its history without sounding retrospective or backward-looking.
"Kasbek" is the place where Prometheus was chained to a rock while an eagle gnawed at his regrowing liver each day as a punishment for stealing fire from the gods and gifting it to mankind.
"Kasbek" starts with "Oblivion". An emotional song with a line in the chorus that stays in your head for a long time. Despite its duration which more than 6 minutes, is one of these songs that you will love to listen again and again. The melodic guitars and dram line build the appropriate atmosphere for the guitar explosion during last minute. With "Vento" we enter the dark rooms of melancholic, gothic riffs. The voice of Peer Lebrecht guide us in the darkness. Strong emotions again until the final note.
Same titled song "Kasbek" begins with a heavier tone in guitars. The rhythm keeps the post-punk, wave characteristics. Once again, the voice of Peer creates an amazing emotional mood that along with various tones played in guitars gives an intense feeling until the end. "Deliverance" keeps the tempo quite low, creating a tripping soundscape similar to some old school dark wave, gothic low-tempo tracks. There are some 80's dark wave influences coming out of this song.
"Voykova - The Healing" goes deeper into the post punk side of the Golden Apes. Dynamic arrangements with strong guitar and drums, while the keys giving a different taste on this one. A gothic dancefloor hit. "Clouds Silver Living" comes right in the middle of the album and stands between some catchy gothic tunes. Its gothic ballad style with a beautiful rhythm change around the 2':30" gives to the whole album a really atmospheric sound. One of the most beautiful gothic ballads I 've listen to, recently. Full of emotions. "Dust & Dew" brings back the catchy dark riffs with the addition of some beautiful female vocals from Shannon Hemmett, synth/singer of Actors and lead singer of Leathers .
"Sleep" has an interesting 1 minute intro, with the deep dark voice of Peer, giving a sense that there will be a nightmare in your sleep. After the first minute a beautiful atmospheric gothic tune continues, while in the last seconds the voice of Peer is guiding you to the relaxing condition of the beginning. "Interference" showing again how influenced by the dark wave of the 80's Golden Apes are, with some melodies reminding the sound of that era. "Morbus Me" is along with "Voykova - The Healing" the ones which are realy close to post-punk rhythms and this one could be a club hit, as well.
"Home" creates again some emotional atmosphere. Gothic guitars in a way that bring memories of The Mission, guiding us to the last part of the album. "Parting" is the closing track of "Kasbek", an atmospheric dark outro for a beautiful album.
With "Kasbek", Golden Apes manage to buid some strong emotions from the first note and minute. A melancholic mood is floating through the end of this album. All the gothic elements and arrangements builds a dark atmosphere with the lyricism in vocals and music to keep this intense feelings until the last moment. A gothic rock album, as a whole, but with strong references to dark rock and post-punk of the 80's and 90's. Golden Apes have definitely created a really compact callection of dark sounds that could be their most complete and strong album to date.
Info:
