3 out of 5

Label: Southern Records

Produced by: Atombombpocketknife

A pretty loud album that leans way into the ABPK monotone sound, rather to the point of being a bit of a roadblock for a new listener. Things open up dramatically at about the midpoint (The Methadone Actors), providing quiet / loud dynamics that help to underline the power of that monotone, but up to that point it’s quite a bit of noise.

Backtracking through the band’s EP and debut, while the general template has remained the same, with Justin Sinkovich speak/singing in halted phrases that guide the blasts of guitar, and with bass and drums adding consistent, thick backbone, I would describe the pictures the band paints as being somewhat impressionistic – a splatter attack. God Save is a step beyond that, but it’s a stumble: Justin’s words are not the same rhymey sing-song as before, finding some very compelling imagery and phrasing to (I think) detail addictions of various types and extremes, and the cycles we get stuck in from kid- to adulthood; and there’s a dialed in tightness to how the band syncs up musically. This seems to have encouraged the all-in approach that results in the album’s upfront barrage, though, and there’s simply not enough downtime to really appreciate songs on their own terms. That doesn’t mean we’re without some badass grooves mixed in there, but they’re sporadic; you’re tapping your toe but can’t quite remember any given tune.

However, with Methadone’s pause, the material thereafter gets an instant boost, and there are a few more instances of that sonic cycle stuffed into the latter half.

ABPK’s music often does ask for some patience to hear its nuance – they were always loud and monotone – but God Save the ABPK was a midpoint between a more rhythmic version of that and, on Lack and Pattern, learning how to better take advantage of those dynamics. This album is still worth that patience, though that midpoint nature means not every track reveals itself as gold.