Before Ghost Games, The Apes made concept albums—wild and fantastic epics in which the band imagined themselves as magical crusaders and conjured bizarre visions of twisted enlightenment. These strange tales were held down by the dark and murky pummel of booming drums, fuzzed-out bass or baritone guitar, and dense organ.
After the release of Baba’s in 2005, Apes singer Paul Weil quit the band to start a family. He was replaced by visual artist Breck Brunson, who quickly melded into the group before touring in support of Liars. On Ghost Games, Brunson’s cracked voice lilts into a spooky falsetto, and his staggered cadence complements the band’s huge sound.
After almost a year, lazer vikings An Albatross are back touring the US with their noisy D.C. pals The Apes for the month of March. An Albatross make a mid-tour pit stop at SXSW, and then the pairing will continue on in support of Ghost Games, The Apes’ February release on Gypsy Eyes Records.