No doubt there are flourishing music scenes in all corners of the globe, but lately there's been the sense of something stirring in Denmark's alternative rock scene. Once isolated from UK and North American audiences (The Raveonettes aside), this new breed are beginning to make inroads into a wider public consciousness, perhaps spearheaded by the success of Iceage and their offshoots. Copenhagen's The Woken Trees also deal in noisy guitars but rather than the no-wave racket peddled by some of the city's more prominent acts, this sextet look to the bleaker side of post-punk to form their unholy sounds and moody soundscapes.
The two tracks on this debut single show something of a contrast, 'Yells' is a throbbing, bass-heavy monster that feels concrete and industrial. It owes a debt to early Factory Records as well as 1980s goth and is a juddering tour de force of clanging guitars and reverberating vocals. Trading in even more desolate sounds is B-side 'Holy Water' which brings with it a stark feeling of hopelessness and resignation, seeking redemption whilst knowing salvation is almost certainly out of the question. Much like the subject matter, it ends with a whimper, hardly having had time to put its desperate message across. There's something stirring alright, and while its outlook may not be good, the apocalypse could have a fittingly barren soundtrack.
The Woken Trees' website
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Охуенно!!!
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