apRon

With loads of energy and Crosscore: apRon are unavoidable in 2009. Crosscore. – Never heard of it? Well, then you don’t know apRon. On their brand new self-titled debut album the five musicians mix the straightforwardness and strength of crossover with the brutality and recklessness of hardcore. – and shake your speakers with their musical neologism Crosscore. How do these most intense apRon eruptions sound? “As if Marilyn Manson’s half-brother was having an affair with System of a Down’s sis...

With loads of energy and Crosscore: apRon are unavoidable in 2009. Crosscore. – Never heard of it? Well, then you don’t know apRon. On their brand new self-titled debut album the five musicians mix the straightforwardness and strength of crossover with the brutality and recklessness of hardcore. – and shake your speakers with their musical neologism Crosscore. How do these most intense apRon eruptions sound? “As if Marilyn Manson’s half-brother was having an affair with System of a Down’s sister – in Jim Morrison’s unmade bed”, says apRon singer Thomy. Right from the start “apRon” points one thing out: Dumb clichés and stupid compromising are definitely not happening here! apRon are masters of the unexpected, and of the extremes! Breathtaking guitar riffs, a seemingly decadent urge to combine the uncombinable and pure violence as ever-reappearing foundation. “Violence is our Art”, that’s the band’s main motto. “We deliberately trigger the dual exchange of the stylistic devices of violence between band and audience”, explains drummer Medusa. “Our music is brutal, yes, indeed. But in the way of ‘A Clockwork Orange’- protagonist Alex DeLarge, who is everything but a dim, beating, stupid hooligan.” The band name explains apRon’s way of seeing themselves as a collective: “Every single person tries to keep up an outer appearance that works in every-day social life”, guitarist ElMitch muses. “An apron helps us keep our white vests clean.” In exactly this metaphorical way apRon want to give their audience what they are denied by social rules and restraint: the important and urgent possibility of regulating the omnipresent pressure in- and all around us. apRon shine brightly with their violent impulses that inspire logical reactions in fans of hard guitar music. Musical fortresses like “Broken Child”, “Swallow…Drown” or “World At War” have established themselves over the years in apRon’s live shows – and left the audience on several tours all across Europe no choice than to indulge in their anger, follow their rage and scream all their frustration out of their systems! But what is all that talk of violence all about? Violence is a three-headed angel for apRon: constructive force, Leitmotif and thoroughly considered expression of art. “All this screaming, the noise, all this pure energy we release, are parts of our very sophisticated interpretation of violence”, says bass player Wommel. “It has nothing to do with brainless grunting or senseless beating-the-crap-out of our instruments.” The manic, intoxicating and astonishingly versatile orgies of violence on “apRon” underline this statement in various and most remarkable ways: The songs are boiling, ravishing, hideously beautiful examples of riotous anger. But simultaneously they are impressive pieces of art full of musical depth consisting of countless layers of unpredictable excess. While others just randomly attach the label “crossover”, apRon give a meaning and a soul to this shallow pigeonhole by combining all different sorts of music and create something entirely new. Instead of constructing their musical pieces according to the rules, these fellas from Munich dare to think in different ways. “apRon” grows steadily and becomes unstoppable and indispensable. Song after song, layer after layer, this album storms right into your brain and your heart like the words of a sweet psychopath. Next to breaks that really take your breathe away, riffs that cut like a thousand sharp knives and this universal intrinsic wrath, the unexpected waits behind every corner: A smooth bossa nova beat here and rough blues riffs there, and then again, when least expected, sublime drumming patterns suddenly appear, rebelling against the thunderstorm of creative sounds. As unpredictable as the instruments, you will experience the 1000 voices, which Thomy wraps his lyrical madness into: He whispers and rants, he weeps and growls, sings and screams as for his very life – and he sings notes that could actually open old, long-forgotten scars. “All the lyrics on this album reflect an important moment of my life”, the singer tells us. Sometimes apRon get so immersed in their live shows, so utterly carried away by the mere energy, so overwhelmed by the forceful intensity on stage, that the original meanings of the song lyrics get blurry, as if in a gloomy mist.: “When that happens, I actually disappear”, says Thomy. Then I am merely singing about my feelings and I try to translate the images in my head into music. Concerts like that are the best for me! Indescribable!” Notwithstanding the brave concentration on unconventional details, “apRon” never gets lost in vain playfulness. “There’s a kind of credo to our songs: ‘Simplicitas delectat’ –Simplicity delights!”, axman Marvin describes another important feature of the apRon philosophy. “Complexity has nothing to do with being complicated.” No, at no point does “apRon” ever sound complicated. “Extremely ambitious” is a much more fitting description: A dual monster that sings sweet lullabies while pushing you over the edge into the abyss of sweet self. An act of violence committed by a spooky genius. apRon are planting a massive monolith into the Metal-/Hardcore landscape – violently and with their trademark sound Crosscore. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!