The Sences: Greek garage punk prodigies
The Sences “Better Than Before”: Hot on the heels of the brilliant Basements LP “Sounds Of Yesterday”, Lost In Tyme Records release another stunning album, this one by young punk garage miscreants The Sences.
This very promising outfit earned their rightful place on my blog with their debut single “Done With You” from June last year. I doubt whether the ancient City of Salonika in Greece has ever been a hot-bed of rock and roll but in The Sences the opened door may usher in a new wave of cave teen punk bands.
fuzz-propelled
One can only hope this is the case because The Sences are certainly demonstrating on “Better Than Before” that the intense and moody 60s garage sound has a place amongst the impressive sculptures and historic buildings within the city walls.
The twelve songs on “Better Than Before” are all self-penned original garage punk blasts, most of them laden with a fuzz-propelled tempo and anguished indecipherable vocals.
The basic analogue recording sounds muddy in places and perhaps the bass and organ need to operate at a lower level for some of the more refined ears but I dig my garage punk raw and full of energy.
“Better Than Before” offers that in abundance.
The opener “Don’t Care”, as well as “She Knocked On My Door”, “My Girl” and “One More Night” rampage through my HI-FI speakers with fuzz-heavy rage.
I’m sure the recording of these particular tracks must have been significantly in the red. But who gives a fuck about that when these tunes are so frighteningly great.
If rudimentary rhythms, unfettered uproar, noise, echoed vocals, high pitched compact organ and non-commercial garage punk anthems are your scene, then you’re gonna flip for these heavyweight raucous numbers.
The Sences are also undeniably adept at skilfully creating jangle folk-punk ravers and mournful minor-key weepers. Get yourself a box of tissues ready because your tears may flow awkwardly down your cheeks with much of the despondent material on side two.
forlorn emptiness
“No Pain No Sorrow”, “Birds Won’t Fly Today”, “Say Goodbye” and in particular “Mirror” are fine examples of their ability to mix noise-drenched folk-punk with melodic jangle and forlorn emptiness.
Closing out the album is “Psychosis”, a biker trash instrumental rumble notable for heavy bass and fuzz. Perfect material for ’60s mini-skirt mobs and motorcycle sadists everywhere!
My pick of the album is the fierce fast-paced garage rocker “One More Night”, a battering-ram of thuggish fuzz, mayhem, distant echoed vocals and horror screams.
Line-up:
Zan V (lead vocals / guitar)
Weird Finger (drums / backing vocals)
Marios (bass)
Rebekka (rhythm guitar)
Jesus Kos (organ)
Black Sephard (tambourine)
Technical details:
recorded by Zan in R.B. DIY studios
mastered by Kostas Iosifidis
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