Ape Machine, Mangled by the Machine: Ruling with Intent
With their third album and Ripple Music debut, Portland, Oregon, four-piece Ape Machine take something of a turn toward the straightforward within heavy rock. The semi-retro vibes they presented on their prior outing, 2011’s War to Head (track stream here), still show up on Mangled by the Machine, but tonally the focus seems to have moved somewhat more toward crunch than fuzz, and the songs by and large are crisper, higher tempo and shorter. It all makes for a quick listen throughout the album’s 38 minutes, and where Mangled by the Machine does not at all falter is in the quality of the songwriting, which if anything is all the more highlighted by this somewhat stripped down approach. Seeming to nod at latter-day Lo-Pan, “Gun You Down” opens the record with a fervent groove and soulful vocals from Caleb Heinze, the band’s stated affinity for recording analog showing itself through a natural feel and warmth in the guitars of Ian Watts, the bass of Brian True and Damon de la Paz‘s drums. Songs move quickly and smoothly one into the next, the strong hook of “Everybody Bleeds” taking hold quickly before it seems like the introductory rush of “Gun You Down” has had time to develop. That ethic plays out over the course of the vinyl-ready offering — the tracks don’t sound hastily composed, but the album has a rush to it all the same — and the material is further tied together by Heinze‘s consistent vocal approach, which keeps largely to a higher register and adds to the energy of the instruments behind (and sometimes in front of) him.
There’s an angularity underlying some of Watts‘ riffing that seems to be filtering classic prog through the Melvins, and it can be heard on “Everybody Bleeds” as well as several of the other cuts’ chugging progressions, but it’s not jagged enough to make the several guest organ spots from Ikey Owens seem out of place, the first of them arriving on “Everybody Bleeds” with others showing up on the title-track and side B cuts “Ruling with Intent,” “Grind of Defeat,” the ultra-catchy “Strange are the People” and closer “Pay Attention.” If that seems like a lot, it is, but Ape Machine put the organ to good use within the tracks, bolstering the classic rock atmosphere and adding to the melodies in what’s still definitively a modern sound — that is, not given to the same kind of retro audio manifestation as any number of European acts working with similar influences. And still, the riffs lead the way, which makes me think the songs were composed before the organ was brought into the process, and as “Tyrant’s Arm” gives way as the third in a raging opening trio to the more landmark riffing of “Angry Man,” there isn’t so much a change in tempo as one in energy that suits the band well, True‘s bass stepping in to fill out the guitar work with some of the album’s best fills, which of course also lets de la Paz deliver choice freakout fills. The whole album is impeccably constructed, but the most satisfying change of all might be “Angry Man” running headfirst into “Mangled by the Machine” to close out side A.
Just when it seems like the quick turns of “Angry Man” have no place left to run, “Mangled by the Machine”‘s intro takes off and brilliantly sets in motion a new progression, gradually stepping down through the chorus to a more open solo break heading toward its midsection. De la Paz‘s tom work is stellar and well placed in the Tony Lash mix, and the return of Owens‘ organ — he’s also credited as producer — is excellently timed as a return to the verse gives way to a chugging build opening to half-time drumming and big payoff riffing from Watts. On vinyl, this would likely be the split between the two sides, but the last crash of “Mangled by the Machine” moves right into “Ruling with Intent” on the CD, the band getting down to more Southern bluesy riffing again given added depth by the organ while Heinze takes a megaphone-style effect onto his vocals. They launch into a killer instrumental jam from there, held together by True while Watts and Owens trip out on guitar and organ. After the first half of the album’s go-go-go vibe, the slowdown is welcome, if short-lived. “They Want You to Bleed, They Want You to Bleed Out” revives the quicker stomp somewhat, but offsets it with on-a-dime changes that only underscore the strength of the band’s rhythmic sensibility, leading — as ever — directly to “Grind of Defeat,” which continues the build and marks another organ return.
Such a level of build behind them, and with such a focus on constructing Mangled by the Machine to maximize its full-length flow, you’d have to figure there’s a considerable payoff lurking in the last two tracks, “Strange are the People” and “Pay Attention,” and you’d be right. Heinze ups the soul in his vocals for the midsection of the former, while de la Paz swings through the groove and Owens fills the spaces left by starts and stops on guitar and bass. The chorus to “Strange are the People” is a landmark unto itself in terms of the album as a whole, but the heavy jam they push into in the second half isn’t to be missed, and a somewhat predictable return to the chorus — by this point in the album, I’d expect no less of them — is a more than satisfying lead-in for the initial organ-infused stomp of “Pay Attention,” which embarks quickly on thick culmination-type riffing that feels well placed where it is. The hook may not be as resonant as that of “Strange are the People,” but “Pay Attention” earns its position anyway thanks to the last-minute adrenaline pop that closes out the record with just enough energy to make you think there’s no way for them to go further with it. Of course, if they did, you couldn’t really be surprised, but they had to end sometime, and another four minutes (or thereabouts) would have them pushing a vinyl time limit — not to mention potentially undercut some of the intensity of the album as it’s presented here. It seems fairly obvious to point out by now, but Mangled by the Machine is best enjoyed as a whole. Songs offer standout moments, but ultimately work most when taken in complete form, and Ape Machine have clearly worked hard to make that so. Their efforts have proven successful to say the least, and if Mangled by the Machine is to be many listeners’ first experience with the band owing to the increased exposure of a release through Ripple, it’s bound to be a positive one. These cats can rock and roll. And heavy.
