By Jeremy Cantu
Comprised of brothers Piotr (guitar, keys, programming) and Marek (bass) Kowalski, and backed by drummer Helmes Bode, Glasgow Coma Scale is a bombastic German post-rock band that employs a variety of influences in their musical arsenal. Apophenia, their new 4-track EP, serves to utilize these aforementioned influences to create a dense mesh of spacious sound that'll leave listeners' heads bobbing after their umpteenth replay.
Easing in with a relatively subdued, muted guitar riff in ‘Syntagma’, the EP begins by showing off the band's attention to the groove they most certainly set, as well as the electronic soundscapes that blanket nearly the entirety of this musical offering.
This electronic facet of the band sets them apart from the usual post-rock fare by adding an additional layer of musicality that isn't simply an ambient backing track, and is a hugely welcome change of pace. Before long, the track blasts with ferocity and some fantastic riffage from Piotr that certainly sets the bar for dynamic guitar work in the genre, all while the bass and drum work by Marek and and Helmes drives this beast of a track along. No doubt a great introduction to the band, and a personal favourite of the EP as a whole.
The following two tracks, ‘Funkstille’ and ‘Urania’ showcase the band's more traditional post-rock vibe, although not without a few twists of their own. ‘Funkstille’ bounces in between a static filled radio conversation that provides a unique layer of sound, to incredibly dense musical crescendos with thick bass lines and guitar slathered in distortion. Once again, Piotr throws some great guitar work in the mix and truly memorable riffs abound (look out at 3:26 of this track).
The track ‘Urania’ has a certain stoner-rock feel, as it glides along to a carefully crafted groove that leads into the welcome "chugs" of distortion. Marek's bass work stands out among the cacophony of sound to convey some funk influence and deep attention to tone. The best example can be found around six minutes in, wherein Marek masterfully carries the song against a backdrop of delayed plucks and continues this well into the end of the track.
Closing with ‘Kids Are Astronauts’ Glasgow Coma Scale once again showcases their fantastic take on post-rock. Much like ‘Syntagma’ this closer is accompanied by great electronic instrumentation, featuring a variety of tones and melodic uses that brings an edge to this band's sound. Halfway through, the context of the song's title is pushed, with a break in instrumentation that evokes innocence and nostalgia in a truly odd yet extremely welcome manner that needs to be heard to be understood. Of course, this leads into the song's crescendo, where Helmes' furious and deft drumming grind the track to its finish.
With a refined sound and a fresh change to the often stale post-rock formula, Glasgow Coma Scale delivers some amazing soundscapes, both as thoughtful as they are movement-inducing. The band's sound is punctuated by fantastic instrumentation that serves to please experienced listeners, as well as the new alike. Fans of the genre should definitely give the band a spin or two, and hope their next musical offering takes their personal brand into even more uncharted territory.
