LA IRA DE DIOS (Apus Revolution Rock) LP+7"/CD
Those who had hoped that LA IRA DE DIOS will return to the sound of their early records will probably experience another unpleasant surprise with the new album 'Apus Revolution Rock'. Already the last one 'Cosmos....Kaos..Destruccion' showed an renunciation of long psychedelic excursions and in the meantime LA IRA DE DIOS are primarily located in the world of 70's punk rock. But despite this they didn't lose the blues, mostly notable at songs such as 'Lima Ciudad' and 'Todo Arde en Llamas'. In all other respects, however, this three Peruvian guys push the pedal to the metal unloading a powerful package of high energy rock 'n' roll. To that we can add a big piece of 1960's garage rock that is latently present in many of the here included twelve tracks. Actually 'Guerilla a Go Go' is a slightly modified cover version of the Richard Berry classic 'Louie, Louie', whilst the almighty Stooges were all-apparent during the recording session.
One of the best songs is 'Megahertz' where they combine psychedelic elements with ass-kickin power blues, reminiscent of early UFO, Blue Cheer and, of course, The Stooges. Nice to see is that the band has been also inspired by the Australian school of heavy punk-driven rock 'n' roll. So, here there are a few tracks where OZ-bands such as Bored! or Powder Monkeys have all left their mark on the riffs ('5000 Anos' or 'Woman'). Although 'Apus Revolution Rock' is more polished than 'Cosmos....Kaos..Destruccion', LA IRA DE DIOS have made sure that the overall sound is still dirty enough to support the nasty, rebellious spirit of this record. I have no idea how serious the band takes the political statement of 'Apus Revolution Rock', but I'm sure they have had a lot of fun while playing the songs. Here we have definitely not a milestone in the history of heavy, blues-infected 60's/70's punk rock, but raw unpretensious rock & roll being played for the sheer joy of it. As a bonus you'll find also a nice video on the CD edition of the album while the vinyl includes a four-track 7" EP containing a cover version of a Joy Division song.
(KK)