{"id":16721,"date":"2026-09-02T09:47:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/?p=16721"},"modified":"2026-09-02T17:20:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T16:20:24","slug":"dead-sea-apes-psychic-tension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eyeplug.net\/magazine\/dead-sea-apes-psychic-tension\/","title":{"rendered":"Dead Sea Apes ‘Psychic Tension’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Dead Sea Apes<\/a> album release has become an event these days as they have carved out their own place in the modern underground music scene, without ever seeming to play the media game or go out of their way to seek attention. There is an air of integrity and honesty around the band, and they\u2019ve earned the trust of their listeners with a string of releases that are always pushing boundaries and never afraid to head into new territory.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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There is no easy way to define their sound;\u00a0each album or phase has been different, and things constantly shift and evolve, built mainly around the classic trifecta of bass, drums and guitar but on some albums incorporating a heavy dose of electronics as well. From early neo-psychedelic guitar led soundscapes to dystopian electronica to thunderous apocalyptic dub, agitated industrial punk and more gentle and reflective tones, they\u2019ve moved through all these zones, often with collaborators (Black Tempest, TBWNIAS, Nik Rayne, Adam Stone etc)\u00a0and kept their own strong identity throughout.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me they soundtracked the lockdown period; I was familiar with them before then but something just clicked into place in my head and it all made a lot more sense and so began an obsessive search for as much DSA vinyl as I could lay my hands on …a wonderful if slightly expensive distraction from the wall-to-wall news and fear. The unspecified\u00a0sense of dread that we all felt was echoed in the music and somehow that seemed to help and fit the times. Perfect catharsis!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That odd time has passed and feels like some weird hard to grasp dream memory…now the world is still falling apart albeit in different ways, and we still need Dead Sea Apes as the visceral soundtrack to our warped reality of wars, corporate control and paranoia…which brings us to the new LP \u2018Psychic Tension\u2019, co-released by\u00a0 \u00a0Cardinal Fuzz<\/a>\u00a0 and Feeding Tube.<\/a><\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Dead Sea Apes have never shied away from being heavy and dark, but this one takes it to new levels and there is no gentle intro as \u2018Damn Your Eyes\u2019 whips straight to the point; after a prowling drums and bass intro the guitars steal in and by the time you\u2019re a\u00a0minute into the track they\u2019ve got you by the throat and you\u2019re pinned against the wall grinning!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is taut and muscular\u00a0throughout\u00a0and the whole album\u00a0hits like a sledgehammer but there is always time and space between the noise\u00a0and volume. Once you\u2019re over the initial shock of the sheer brutality of the sound\u00a0and the supernaturally\u00a0heavy riffs and tempestuous\u00a0lead guitar lines\u00a0you can tune yourself in and\u00a0notice the spaces and its these spaces that somehow add extra weight as the tracks evolve, warp and bend with the brief guitar drop outs,\u00a0where bass and drum dominate,\u00a0adding to the menace. There are\u00a0deftly buried dub dynamics,\u00a0expressive coiling\u00a0bass\u00a0lines and drums full of vitality, each track seeming to be constantly building and reaching further.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The title track if anything ups the levels of ferocity\u00a0with shuddering tectonic bass, kick in the balls whiplash drums and white-hot barbs of metallic guitar. I don\u2019t think Dead Sea Apes have ever sounded quite as incendiary as they do on this record, but it is tightly controlled reined in fury, kept in check and weaponised.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n