French trio Appalooza will make their debut on Ripple Music early next year with their second full-length, The Holy of Holies. The Brest-based troupe were recently announced as one of a set of four pickups for groups with releases to come in 2021, and with the unveiling of “Conquest” and the striking cover art for The Holy of Holies — suitably enough by Wild Horse Artworks, working in the style of John Dyer Baizley — a fuller picture begins to emerge of things to come.

Certainly, Appalooza‘s first, self-titled long-player gave some clues as to what they were about when it came out in 2018, but in listening to “Conquest,” you’ll want to pay particular attention to the fullness of the tones and the spaciousness of the mix. The band, who seem to take a smidge-plus of influence from the Wovenhand school of neo-Americana and treat it to a due roughing up and thickening of low end — make it heavy, in other words — exhibit a marked scope on the song in question, from the weighted roll that takes hold initially, tipping chapeau in some ways to the progressive heft of Parisian countrymen Abrahma while ultimately taking their own direction. The first turn is aggro, but the build smooths into a longer, acoustic-driven break, and the end-result impression is that The Holy of Holies won’t be so willing to be pigeonholed.

What does that mean for the entirety of the record? I don’t know, I haven’t heard it yet. But if you, like me, are so, so, so very done with 2020, you might consider digging into the song below as a glimpse at an optimistic future on the horizon, if one that’s still rooted in the sounds of the past.

The band very kindly offers some comment below on the album to come, and if you’re the type to keep an eye out for preorders, Ripple‘s Bandcamp is certainly a good place to start. It’s linked below.

Enjoy:

Appalooza, “Conquest” official track premiere

Appalooza on The Holy of Holies:

“‘The Holy Of Holies’ is an ironic comment on religion. A storm is coming and ready to send mankind to a certain death. They are deprived and punished for their individualism, appearing already dead. They accept it and seek a new being to venerate, then send a scapegoat to the desert with all their sins, to find the demon Azazael, the Holy of Holies. This fallen angel takes possession of mankind. He reincarnates them into a half-man half-beast species by transplanting a horse skull, symbol of a lost freedom. Our lyrics deal with subjects such as the lie of religion, the failure to assist a person in distress, the exploitation of man by man, the disappointment that one may have in general towards people, the eternal questioning about our existence and the universe.”

Album preorder: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/

APPALOOZA released their first two demos “Squamata” and “Chameleon” respectively in 2013 and 2014, further to which they embarked across the pond for their first ever US tour, taking them to Colorado, Nevada and California. Fired up by a brand new energy ensuing from this successful experience, the band officially released their eponymous debut in 2018, quickly followed by a second North American taking them from the Midwest lands to the Pacific Coast.

Some hundred shows later, APPALOOZA signed to Californian powerhouse Ripple Music for the release of their sophomore album “The Holy Of Holies” in early 2021. The beginning of a new era driven by an album that perfectly embodies the trio’s musical and visual reincarnation, through an intense sonic escape and ultimately, freedom.

Appalooza is :
Sylvain – Vocal/Guitar
Vincent – Drum
Tony – Bass
The Horse – Arrangements

Appalooza on Thee Facebooks

Appalooza on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Tags: Appalooza, Appalooza The Holy of Holies, Brest, France, Ripple Music, The Holy of Holies

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2020 at 8:03 am and is filed under audiObelisk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.