The Pittsburgh Pirates can kiss my entire ass. Other than that, Pittsburgh’s Shaved Ape has a new LP out called ‘Loveletter to Hardcore‘ on Sorry State Records, which is less like a traditional musical composition and more like a high-speed collision between a freight train and a box of distortion pedals. It is an exercise in pure, unadulterated velocity that makes a standard heart rate feel like a slow-motion stroll through a library. There is a refreshing lack of pretension here; the band isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel so much as they are trying to melt it down for scrap metal at record-breaking speeds. It’s the kind of sound that fills a room with so much kinetic energy you’ll feel the urge to start a one-person circle pit in your own living room, much to the confusion of your pets.
The sonic architecture of the record is a masterclass in controlled chaos, characterized by a “first-take” grit that feels like it was captured in a basement five minutes before the cops arrived. Stylistically, the music leans into a lo-fi, “ear-bleeding” aesthetic that prizes urgency over polish, creating a texture that is as abrasive as sandpaper and just as effective at stripping away anything unnecessary. The drums are the undisputed engine of this madness, providing a rhythmic foundation so frantic and precise that it feels like the heartbeat of a hummingbird on a triple-shot espresso. It’s a relentless, breathless experience that manages to be both punishingly loud and strangely cathartic.
For those ready to dive into the wreckage, “Potatofish” is a short, sharp shock to the system that defines the term “blink and you’ll miss it.” “Crowd Cloud” ramps up the intensity with a riffs-per-second ratio that defies physics, while “Social Step Stool” serves as a snarling, feedback-drenched standout that leaves the listener wondering where their sense of calm went. This album is a vibrant, sarcastic, and undeniably joyous celebration of noise for the sake of noise. It’s a blistering success that proves Shaved Ape has mastered the art of the musical adrenaline shot, delivering it with a wink and enough volume to shake the dust off your speakers.
Links of interest:
https://www.sorrystaterecords.com/products/shaved-ape-loveletter-to-hardcore-12-pre-order
https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/loveletter-to-hardcore