It’s been thirteen years since A Place to Bury Strangers released their sophomore album, Exploding Head. The album was the first time the band recorded an album all at once in the studio, as their eponymous debut album was taken from a series of recordings over the previous five years. The results were a much more polished and cohesive collection of beautifully noisy shoegaze tracks tinged with post-punk vibes. Making use of effects pedals that he crafted himself, from his pedal company Death By Audio, frontman Oliver Ackermann piles layers of noisy effects to each track. For its thirteenth anniversary, Mute/BMG has released a deluxe 2-LP pressing done on transparent clear wax featuring newly designed artwork on a numbered gatefold sleeve, a 12” art card with original cover art and ten bonus tracks of rarities, unreleased material and covers.
The repress sounds fresh and the ripping guitars on songs like “Ego Death” and “I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadows of Your Heart” beg to be played at full volume. The singles “In Your Heart” and “Keep Slipping Away” sound even better than they did on CD. The real hero of this reissue though is the second LP, choked full of extras. B-Sides like “Hit the Ground” and “It’s A Fast Driving Rave Up With A Place To Bury Strangers” give a glimpse into other avenues not taken with tinges of new-wave and punk elements. “Alive” gives a rare instance of Ackermann’s vocals front and center and drives ahead with a frenetic pace. There is also an unreleased demo of “I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadows of Your Heart” from the early days of the band before bassist Jono MOFO and drummer Jay Space had joined the band. The second side of bonus materials contains three excellent covers that showcases some of Ackermann’s influences outside of the often-mentioned Jesus and Mary Chain. There is a great cover of David Bowie’s “Suffragette City” an effects laden version of “Tried to Hide” by psychedelic godfathers 13th Floor Elevators and a lively cover of “The Light” by Love and Rockets.
For long time fans or newfound listeners of A Place to Bury Strangers, this anniversary edition is the definitive version to own. The original album takes on a whole new life being spun on the turntable with the volume cranked all the way up and the bonus tracks almost feel like hearing a whole new album by APTBS.
