Not only that, there's a self-assured quality about the band, as if they have learned from their manic exploits of the past and have created their own serene space in which to write and play music, casting out the doubters, advisors and sycophants who can cause so much confusion in a young band's formative phase. Metallica, Nickelback) on mixing duties and you have a revitalized group sounding better than ever before. Add in triple Grammy winner Tom Lord-Alge (too many credits to mention, but U2, Coldplay, Oasis and Pink will do for now), Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden etc.) and Randy Staub (e.g. His sterling work with the likes of Carpark North, Mew and Kent has already earned him Grammys in Sweden and his native Denmark. Bringing Jon Schumann on board as producer has turned out to be an inspiring move. From the anthemic oceans of "When The Ships Arrive" to the playful jaunt of "Sunday Lover", Sandra's exuberant delivery is complemented by a laser sharp rhythm section who step back into the arena with renewed vigour. Times), lends its name to the album, a clear enough indication that the band is consciously breaking into new territory, no longer walking on a thin line, so to speak. Bel Air, that most famous of Los Angeles districts ("a part of the city, but apart from it too", as was once noted in the L.A. So it's a pleasure to be able to say that the Guano Apes are indeed sounding more energized, leaner and fitter than ever. By this time, the idea of recording together again was taking shape.Of course, if you are planning to come back, then you have to be sure you're going to be at least as good as before you went away, if not better. Even when the Apes had retired from active service, their "Big In Japan" single proved to be a self-fulfilling prophesy, becoming the official theme of the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2009. "Proud Like A God", their debut album alone went gold and platinum in various countries on the back smash hitsingle "Open Your Eyes", seeing the band tour Europe and the USA for an eighteen month period.
The Guano Apes reunited in the line-up which brought them their greatest successes to date (Henning Rmenapp, Dennis Poschwatta, Stefan Ude and Sandra Nasic) are that rarest of phenomena, a German band which has gone global. Probably nowhere more so than in Portugal, where the Guano Apes, it is fair to say, filled some pretty impressive Converse sneakers for the post-Nirvana generation, selling out concerts of 20,000+ supporters, but also in such faraway places as Siberia, where the band are looking forward to playing for a crowd of 10,000 this year. Which is perhaps why they were so sorely missed and why their return is so hotly anticipated. Unstoppable as they seemed, they stopped themselves yet incredibly, there did not seem to be any other bands waiting in the wings to take over their position. It was almost as if the Guano Apes had created a new brand of guitar song which they promptly claimed as their own and only loosened their grip when the aforementioned difficulties led to their very public disintegration. The Guano Apes sounded as fresh and looked as bright as powdered Alpine snow, an image reinforced by their "Lords of the Boards" single which sold in excess of a quarter of a million copies as they hurtled down the slopes with fearless abandon. When they leapt onto the scene over a decade ago, the Apes were heralded as a much-needed injection of thrills for a languorous rock scene dominated by old men and the odd rock bride. The time has come to welcome back the Guano Apes. Take the emotion out of music and you are left with silence. But with a tweak here and a touch of enlightenment there, the chemical balance can be restored with astounding results. It's a high octane cocktail which can explode at any moment. Can they still walk the walk? Are they ready to come in and rock out? Rock'n'Roll has a language all of its own, where "musical differences" means more money, mo' problems and "pursuing solo projects" translates as can't stand the sight of each other. Hence the return of any band that left the scene at the peak of their powers (and, in this case, with a second consecutive #1 gold album) is regarded with a mixture of excitement and potentially morbid fascination. To go out on a high rather than risk a new low. They say it's easier to stay away than to come back.
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