Buss Premiere “Canned Fear” Video; Debut LP Aroused Due Nov. 11
Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 15th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Northern Italy’s Buss will release their debut full-length, Aroused, on Nov. 11. The raw-styled fuzz trio from Trieste situated near the Slovenian border issued their self-titled debut EP (review here) in May 2020 (whoops…) and have been kicking around since, honing live chops while building toward the right time for the album’s arrival. As they move from the initial sample to begin with the buzz tones, punchy bass and throaty vocals of the 6:41 opener and longest track (immediate points) “Woland” and the gruff reaffirmation of “Canned Fear” (premiering below), they are as much punk as heavy rock, even if they groove like the latter, and bassist Erik Carpani‘s vocals, with just a bit of reverb, remind of Venom circa Black Metal; a heaping dose of fuckall present and accounted for as a defining aspect of their craft.
Carpani, guitarist Patrik Pregarc and drummer Ivan Kralj make the most of their rawness as the centerpiece “Pistol Shrimp” roll out brash midtempo nod in answer to the garage metal chug and thud of “Iron Flies” just before, but in that song and throughout, the swagger leans hard on sneering arrogance, furthering the punker underpinning and tying Aroused together around its basic introductory premise. I’ve no doubt, in other words, that if Buss had issued their debut long-player in 2020 or 2021 as they otherwise might have, they would already be at work on what’s next, but as it stands, they’re not held back at all for the misfortune of timing (and so much else). If anything, with live music “back,” the energy with which they execute these songs feels all the more stage-resonant. That is, after listening to the record, I’d be glad to watch them play a set on an actual stage. That’s how it’s supposed to work, right?
Digging into the second half of the seven-songs-plus-bonus-track album, “Onion Rings” brings bluesy vibes in its opening stretch of lead guitar and offers one of Aroused‘s most vibrant swings, a classic shuffle-into-release working from the verse to the chorus with the steady pulse of the drums beneath. There’s room in the 5:58 runtime for a jam and a slowdown both, and Buss don’t waste that time, Pregarc‘s guitar once again holding court in the first position, with Carpani‘s vocals roughing up the sound along the way. Their vision of classic heavy is more Atomic Rooster than Black Sabbath in “Garden of Fools,” but that solo and the progression underneath is pure Iommi and clearly intended as same. As with the fuzzroller “Beer Song,” tucked away like the stumbling patron the bartender stuck in the corner with a hopefully restorative cup of coffee, Buss ask little of the listener and offer much in their no-pretense, here-because-we-love-it style.
Europe’s heavy underground, even if you want to narrow it just to Italy, is slammed with bands. Saturated. How Buss will ultimately stand themselves out from the multitudes, if they will, remains to be seen, but there’s opportunity for developing their sound along any number of lines throughout Aroused, and if you can’t hear at least some of that potential within “Canned Fear,” it’s not the band’s fault. Between metal, punk, heavy rock, and that semi-cover bonus track “Mint Julep”‘s casual lean, they shine through, putting the pieces together to make something of their own from what’s come before and what’s out there now. I’m not gonna predict their future or tell you they’re destined to be some kind of a big deal — not saying such a thing couldn’t happen, either, of course — but Buss sound eager to get out, hit as many stages as possible and win support the hard way. Such multifaceted traditionalism will suit them well in that, in addition to the strength of songwriting on display here.
“Canned Fear” premieres in the video below, followed by a band quote and done PR wire whatnot, for your convenient perusal. Having done a few premieres for Buss at this point, I’m glad to be on board for this one. Don’t sleep on the record.
Enjoy:
Buss, “Canned Fear” video premiere
Buss on Aroused:
Whatever happened in the past two years, clearly showed that we probably chose the worst historical period to make and enjoy music. Don’t need to tell you what we’re talking about. But even if sabotaged and talented in making wrong decisions, we found enough time to work on something that bands use to do: a full album.
AROUSED was the right word to describe our mood: lustful, provocative and disappointed. Sexy woman’s fingers on the cover, can clearly describe our pleasure in our music, but still uncomfortable with our times. All songs are written and performed by Buss except the bonus track “Mint Julep” written by the Italian author Nino Ferrer in the ’60s and revisited in our style.
Our riffs were recorded with only heavy vintage classic instruments and even with prototypes. Nothing strange if at some point the bass cabinet burned down. Recorded and cuddled by the only reliable Truck Terminal Studio, mixed by James Atkinson at The Stationhouse in the U.K. and mastered by Claudio Bisi.
Presale: https://bussband.bandcamp.com/releases
First single of the upcoming album by Buss. Recorded in MKNŽ Ilirska Bistrica by Klemen Čepar and mastered by Matej Čebulec. Special thanks to Pablo Scarpa, Rok Samsa and MKNŽ guys. Powered by Rocket Panda Management.
BUSS – AROUSED Tracklist:
1. Woland
2. Canned Fear
3. Iron Flies
4. Pistol Shrimp
5. Onion Rings
6. Garden of Fools
7. Beer Song
8. (Bonus Track) Mint Julep
BUSS is:
Erik Carpani – bass & vocals
Patrik Pregarc – guitar
Ivan Kralj – drums
