Hailing from Bristol UK, The St Pierre Snake Invasion release their third full-length album Galore, and join the ever-impressive roster of bands on Church Road Records, who as a label are on an absolute roll in 2023, releasing a succession of fine albums in varying styles, and showing no signs of slowing down.
And if The St Pierre Snake Invasion are not a band you’ve come across before, then on the basis of Galore they are without a doubt worth checking out. They have created a highly unique sound on the record which is difficult to pigeonhole, taking influence from nineties alternative rock and metal for sure, but with their own idiosyncratic yet compelling take on the style, which unquestionably makes them stand out from the current crop of UK bands.
Case in point Galore opens with ‘Cracked Velvet’ and a quirky garage rock opening that explodes with grungy distortion and a sumptuous riff, with a slight hardcore style to the vocals as they double up in the chorus. The off-beat style continues on ‘Submechano’ which mixes a blend of Helmet and The Mars Volta with some extraordinary riffing from guitarists Patrick Daly and Szack Notaro, and a wonderfully chaotic instrumental finale, while on the title track rolling drums, and twinkling guitar leads are interjected with moments of stabbing distortion and wonderfully peculiar note choices throughout.
On ‘The Overlook’ the band mange in parts to make it sound as if the vocals and instrumentals are being performed at different speeds, which is confusing on the senses but in the best possible way, and is another example of a band that creating a sound that your not going to hear elsewhere. And in a nutshell, it is this kind of talented composition that makes this such a great record. ‘To Sleep Well’ features guest vocals from Sugar Horse’s Ashley Tubb, and mixes a jangly off-the-wall Br3iniac style sound, with moments of raging hardcore, showing that when firing at full throttle, The St Pierre Snake Invasion have enough in their armoury to get the mosh pit flowing, with the pulsating ‘Every Sun’ and album closer ‘I Pray To Liars’ two further cases in point.
The band also show that they can take their music in more of a downbeat direction, and let a wonderfully eerie bassline take centre stage on ‘Apex Prey’, with the subtlest of guitar leads creating a perfectly psychedelic aura.
And if one track stands out and offers a chance of really getting this album noticed, it is on the gloriously catchy ‘That There’s Fighting Talk’, with its twisted stabbing guitar lead and thudding 4/4 techno beat, which builds with a chaotic and pulsating riff which delectably swirls around your brain.
Galore is a perfectly paced and executed record, and shows there is without a doubt a hell of a lot more to this band than just a cool name.
Buy the album here:
https://churchroadrecords.bandamp.com
9 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL_