The Dresden, Germany-based Trigger Kid & The Ending Man recently returned with their second album, Gods Ape Hunting. It’s a dark, jagged-edged piece of psychedelic rock suitable for fans of The Black Angels, Mclusky, and METZ.
The group says their sound is where noise rock meets psychedelic, grunge, and punk, with an anabolic distorted bass on excellently played drums. In 2023, Trigger Kid became a trio, now featuring Oliver Zorn (bass, vox, lyrics), Phillip Ohlendorf (drums, percussion, vox), and Paul Edmund Riemer (guitar, keys, vox).
Gods Ape Hunting features hypnotic and accentuating guitar and synth, much like the group’s debut record. The group says its music is a “constant wrestle with the demons in the head and hypocrisy of a self-faking society!” That’s as punk-rock a sentiment as one you’re likely to hear, and it shows on the new record.
Songs like “Beach” feature disorienting synth work and Riemer’s menacing guitar, creating a nightmare psychedelic fuel. “Into The Jungle” may refer more to a concrete jungle, and the distorted guitar sounds wicked, the perfect music for wandering a city’s streets. “Innocent” is more of a slow burn, showing how adept Trigger Kid is at creating a dark soundscape.
The album closes with “Can,” with the band showing its love of horror films in the opening sound bite. The uneasy whine of the synth and slow start builds into guitar-driven mayhem like a time bomb about to explode.
Gods Ape Hunting is a fascinating album for a band that says it makes the soundtrack for “that look over your shoulder.” There are some psychedelic passages here and there, but Trigger Kid’s new album is mostly grinding garage/punk/stoner and is well-suited for horror film buffs and lovers of hard rock. If you like the new record, check out Trigger Kid’s debut LP, 2020’s Kings & Slaves. Enjoy!
Check out Gods Ape Hunting by Trigger Kid & The Ending Man on Bandcamp here.
You can support Trigger Kid & The Ending Man by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).
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