The first time I heard this trio was exactly one year ago, when they opened for Kadavar and La Otracina in Thessaloniki. It was quite a newly formed band back then and I suppose that it was one of their first gigs. Or at least first bigger gigs... A relatively unfortunate though since during their performance we were max 20 people there including Kadavar and La Otracina members.Nevertheless they gave their best on stage even if some of their tunes didn't touch me much. And I'm talking about their calmer, slower ones. I saw them again few months later, last summer, in a local festival in my hometown. Having a bigger audience, although most of the people weren't aware of the music but I'm from a small city so any event attracts a diverse audience.
Their performance there was nearly excellent. Obviously they had worked a lot, probably they had some more live appearances on their back... Great energy throughout the concert and a great stage attitude. Their guitar player is the band's trademark. Take a look at their video performing "Jesus Wants Her To Kill" I posted in the end and you'll get the point.
Last December Psychedelic Trips To Death released their debut album called "Malibu", featuring 9 tracks. Their music is moving into the realm of shoegaze, flavored with noise rock passages and a bunch of post punk licks. They have a lot in common with neo-psych bands but I wouldn't restrict them in this framework.
The closest band for making a comparison would definitely be A Place To Bury Strangers, especially in their "hit" "Jesus Wants Her To Kill" which is an absolute killer. I wouldn't hesitate to point out a lot of Spacemen 3/Spectrum references too; while in their slow-driven tunes, they remind me a darker version of The Telescopes. Throughout the album they manage to produce a grey urban, purifying depression, from the eastern patterned "Introcolours" to the epic pessimism of "Malibu"...
"Malibu" is a promising start for these youngsters... It has its minor weak moments here and there but that's not degrading the final result. Either way they've proved at least to me that they don't afraid to work and that's one of the main pros for a band. I wonder though why they haven't got the attention they deserve even in Greece where the whole "psych" scene in general got hyped in the last year and Psychedelic Trips To Death are one of promising underground bands. I hope I will catch them live again some time soon. For now I enjoy "Malibu" and wait for their cover of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang". Don't forget to inform you that in September they will support Singapore Sling in a festival taking place in Thessaloniki...
by Thanos
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