The Apers come from Rotterdam in The Netherlands and are the self-proclaimed ‘hardest working band’ in punk rock. I couldn’t say if that was true or not, but from reading their bio and a selection of choice reviews, it would seem that their claim could well be true. Numerous tours and releases have earned the band a solid following and this latest release is likely to further boost their profile, not just on the mainland, but over here too. The Apers sound like Screeching Weasel and The Queers a lot, so it’s no surprise to hear that bands such as the above, and maybe even The Groovie Ghoulies, are big influences. The Apers do what they do very well – there are plenty of catchy three-chord riffs and the vocals and general levels of musicianship are of a high level.
However, there’s very little variation on ‘The Buzz Electric’ and once you’ve heard three or four tracks, well, you’ve heard them all. They’re all good songs, don’t get me wrong, but The Apers stick to what they know (and do well) and hardly veer off the beaten track. It means their poppy, yet fast as fuck, punk is slick and melodic, but over the long term it begins to grate a little, with tracks running into others and the samey guitar tones become a little too familiar. In short doses, this is excellent. The level of musicianship is high and the individual songs are carefully crafted and well thought out – it’s just a shame that over the course of an album there’s little to distinguish one song from another.
Stardumb records
Paul