Black Helicopter - Don't Fuck With The Apocalypse

  by Paul Waller

published: 5 / 7 / 2010

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Review

With ten years and two critically acclaimed yet poorly selling albums behind them, Black Helicopter are back with their third and best effort yet. 'Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse' is a record for those lovers of Shellac who don’t necessarily adore that band's over clinical approach and in some places I can hear the spirit of the late D. Boon of Minutemen fame in Tim Shea’s vocal style. Combining these two elements effectively renders the album a product of the past which is no bad thing. There is a passionate grace in the way the band take these elements of the past and make them their own. 'Copout' is a mid-paced gem with a surprising melody that finds itself lodged in your head after only a couple of listens. The same goes for 'King Shit' (Boy, these guys love to swear. Your Nan would not be impressed). With “Name a show/I put it on/I’m king shit/I’m in the know” the band recall the type of promoter that promises the world and delivers nothing. It’s an honest tale that bands often fear to tread due to small-minded reprisals. but it’s refreshing to hear and in such a great format, four minute scuzzy rock genius. My favourite track here is 'Record Player', a short number that pines for the days of vinyl and rediscovering that old seven inch that you haven’t heard for years that you forgot you loved to death. In the rare moments where this band gets mentioned in the press they are always compared to Pavement, but I can’t see it myself. Even in the group's earliest recordings they were far heavier in feel, let alone in sound. On 'Don’t Fuck…' the band prove they are their own band, beyond mere plagiarists. Let’s hope they can pick up a few more fans in the process.

Track Listing:-

1 Invasion of Prussia
2 Golden Days
3 Copout
4 None Taken
5 Record Player
6 Untitled #1
7 Pickle Jar
8 Untitled #2
9 Class Action
10 Occupation of Prussia
11 Idiot Son
12 King Shit
13 Under the Bus
14 In the Blood