Great things come to people who can wait.
Fans of Scraps 0f Tape are soon going to be rewarded because three years after the release of Resident Flux in 2011, the Swedish post rockers are back with their new full length album that is set for release on February 26th through A Tenderversion Recordings.
Fredrik Gillhagen, Jerker Kaj, Johan Gustavsson, Marcus Nilsson and Kenneth Jansson from Malmö, Sweden, are a group of musicians and friends that have been recording music since 2001 under the name of Scraps of Tape. Listening to their previous albums in sequence it’s surprising to hear their attitude to push the envelope more and more and what is sure is that they have no musical barriers. Even with the upcoming album, Sjätte Vansinnet, these guys do a damn good job and deliver a record where their mix of post-rock, punk rock and heavy hardcore will blow your mind from the first listening. In several tracks the sound is a bit aggressive and in that case it will attract metal music lovers; but Sjätte Vansinnet will please also post-rock fans even though it cannot be considered merely a post-rock record. Avoiding to find out the right tag for it, the new album from Scraps of Tape is quite unique and it will conquer a wide range of listeners.
The journey through the ten tracks of Sjätte Vansinnet is really enjoyable and it evolves from song to song. Surprisingly I do prefer the tracks with vocals instead of the ones that are only instrumental and this is strange considering that I’m an huge fan of instrumental music. It seems that the tracks where Scraps of Tape use vocals are more powerful and the energy they give off is definitely more contagious.
The album kicks off with ‘We, The Leftheaded’ and it’s a nice start. In a bunch of seconds you’ll be into that vertigo of sounds that originates here and evolves through each track till the end where the melody comes back to its origins like in a perfect circle.
The instrumental ‘Fuga’ is hypnotising and it seems having also some elements of prog rock in it; ‘Fuga’ can be considered a nice interlude between the opening track and ‘Hands In Hands’ that has a great post rocky sound with vocals that are perfectly balanced with the happy notes.
With its running time of 4:08 minutes ‘Among Haters’ is the longest track of the record and it easily might be my favourite track from Sjätte Vansinnet. I really like the start of it and the perfect twisting between heavy guitar riffs and vocals. Using the classic post-rock formula of quiet-loud alternation, this track will grab you in a web of twisted emotions. The last part is heavy and beautifully powerful. Clean guitar melodies combined with flawless, gentle, yet complex drumming dominate the scene of ‘Once We Were’ and the following awesome ‘Log Cabin’.
The eclecticism of Scraps of Tape is impressive and they surprise me with ‘A Neverending’, a standout track that conquered me at first listening. It is heavy enough to arrive directly to your heart and it’s quite spectacular the way it involves you. The ending 'Alla Utom Jag Måste Dö' closes the album as if Sjätte Vansinnet was a perfect circle. This is not simply a song but a ride with an amazing pursuing rhythm and it’s already among my favourite track I’ve heard this year.
Sjätte Vansinnet is the proof of the Swedish musician’s artistry and ability to create a mix of sounds that is really unique and distinctly Scraps of Tape before it can be compared to anyone else.
Sjätte Vansinnet will be available on CD, 12" vinyl and digitally. Pre-order it here.
