5 out of 5

Label: File 13

Produced by: Jeremy Lemos, Justin Sinkovich

Holy crunchy heck.  ABPK – and I say this as a fan – always seemed like one of those also-rans post-rock acts, throwing Chicago sludge and long songs at the listener and getting played off the stage by groups with more notable pedigrees or hooks; always the opener, never the headliner.  But they dropped a couple of excellent albums nonetheless, soldiering on and rocking out while other did so in the spotlight.  The scene died down; your favorite bands went away or splintered or picked up the kazoo.  And Atombombpocketknife had another album in them… and it’s a devious thump of all those praised qualities plus this intense focus in the delivery.  Drums thunder across harsh, buzzing guitars and a ditch-ditching rumble of bass; our vocals – of the plaintive school of Touch and Go delivery – have an extra bite, and an extra veneer of sneering smarts in the lyrical department.  Even as songs bloat out to 6+ and 8+ minute marks, this intensity is maintained; even as the distortion is dropped for “quieter” moments, the harshness is there.

You let the scene fade away from your attentions, ABPK was still bleeding for it, sneaking in Lack and Pattern just before their own finish line and not looking back to verify – verily, to care – what trophy they won.  THEY WON ‘EM ALL, I SAYS.