What would YOU do if confronted with 200 angry bikers? I'd probably soil myself, but The Ape Drape Escape would undoubtedly make a gonzo electro-punk racket and batter said motorcyclists into aural submission.
With a rattling riff tempered by a smattering of electronica and some slightly disturbing yelped lyric about killing small animals, their style is unorthodox. Unorthodox is good, never more so than in Sheffield at the moment where, we are told, every band is a carbon copy of a certain other primate-monickered outfit.
Local music lovers know this isn't the case, of course, but it's nice to see some tangible evidence for everybody else. The Ape Drape Escape will shatter any preconceptions you may have about 'New Yorkshire', and just might damage your hearing into the bargain.
Many bands who attempt to combine these two genres end up over-egging the pudding but this Steel City sextet keep things refreshinghly primal and resist the temptation of relying on the electronic aspects of their sound.
Worth buying for the strength of the b-side's name alone: 'They Filled A Bag With Laughs, Threw It In The River And Now They're Sad'. Utterly brilliant.
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8Rob Webb's Score