In a post-emo age of pretty boy screamo bands, it makes a refreshing change to hear a band omitting the cringe-worthy lyrics and relying upon sheer instrumental power to get their message across. Apple Cannon can make you laugh, cry, dance and fight without saying a single word. The Scouse-rock duo of Richard Birkenhead and Paul Barrow (also known as Rev Apple and Doctor Cannon) are able to blend the subtleties of a minimalist cymbal pattern or simple chord progression, with the destructive chaos of a raucous punk rock chorus, complete with distortion-driven guitars and blustering lo-fi drums. The result? A pick n’ mix hybrid of styles that leaves you with an insatiable need to hear more.
The band’s debut EP ‘Enjoy It While It Lasts’ opens with the no holds barred ‘Death of the News’, laying down the gauntlet with it’s balls to the wall drumming and relentless guitar riff. The track nods to metal influences through the growling vocals and menacing drum breaks, quickly distancing Apple Cannon from lazy comparisons with a ‘heavy White Stripes’. In terms of lyrics ‘Death of the News’ could just as easily be a witty piece of social commentary about the state of the media in modern society, as it could be a typically punk ‘anti-song’, in which the lyrics are absurd, meaningless, and quite often, completely contradictory. The memorable line ‘This is the death of the news’ and the contrast between Richard and Paul’s vocals complements the general breakneck feel of the song, again bringing the driving instrumental sections to the fore.
Second track ‘Wargasm’ could have the crowd on tiptoes from the first few seconds of its moody intro. The mumbling, melancholic spoken words that lead into the gigantic first verse sound like lines from a Scouse-western standoff, as they build into the onslaught of a verse punctuated with gunshot snare/tom fills. The shifting guitar parts bob in and around the humungous drums as the song flows into a quiet, gentle breakdown section, before winding right down into an epic outro that could grace the soundtrack of any Spaghetti Western. The lack of vocals are what really sets this track apart, allowing plenty of room for Paul’s ringing guitar chords and Richard’s fill/beat variations, proving that the clever dynamics between the two are what really set these guys apart.
‘Lightning Mask’ is proof that Apple Cannon don’t need a bass player. Once again the guitar and drums provide plenty of bombast on this track, filling the gaps left by the absent bass with simple but groovy riffs, and a soulful beat that the song could sit on for an eternity. The contrast between Richard’s gravelly verse vocal and Paul’s frantic chorus screaming is again put to good use, changing the mood from groovy to grungey in an instant. Of the three non-instrumental tracks the vocal element is perhaps most important in ‘Lightning Mask’, adding to the dark mood and brooding tone with the line ‘When you look my way, creepy…I wonder what’s behind the mask that I see…’, conjuring up all sorts of questions and possibilities as to why someone might choose/be forced to wear a mask with such face-melting qualities. So although these guys don’t need lyrics and vocals to get by, when they do incorporate them, they are used with as much power and purpose as their music.
As mentioned earlier, Apple Cannon possess that unique ability to fuse two entirely different styles and make it work. Nowhere is this more evident than in the song ‘Dancehall’, which partners a reggae dancehall beat with a hardcore chorus that crashes and thrashes against the laidback nature of the verse groove. This Melvins-esque blend of dancibility and gothic doom nods to the light-hearted accessibility of a band who takes their music seriously without obsessing over their own image. And while this accessibility may make the recordings a little easier on the mainstream listener’s ear, it does nothing to dampen the band’s live performance, during which all of these tracks translate brilliantly into an unhinged and unpredictable demonstration of raw energy and enthusiasm.
Title track ‘Enjoy It While It lasts’ feels like a stoner rock anthem waiting to happen, blending a heavy chunk of Californian desert music with the duo’s own roguish charm. The uncompromising five minute instrumental generates pure emotion and atmosphere, only relenting with thirty seconds of the track remaining as Paul and Richard echo the line ‘Enjoy it while it lasts…’ Again, there is no room for unwanted sentiment, with all the lyrical fat being trimmed to leave the solid drums and guitar that are the muscle and bones of this band.
Take Apple Cannon’s advice and enjoy it while it lasts. Enjoy it fast, enjoy it heavy, and enjoy it loud. But if their debut EP is anything to go by, don’t expect them to be giving it up anytime soon.
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