PRE Third Album

Although this is the first time I get to review an album by this somewhat peculiar (among others, they have two bass players, Matt Warburton and Kevin Hendrix – the latter left Seafood to concentrate on Pre and his other band, Pop Noise act Male Bonding, which also features Pre guitarist John Webb...which leaves drummer Richard “Rodney” Bennett as the only musician to be mentioned) British “Noise Rock” band, they've been around for more than 6 years, and this is their third full-length album!

Including now former members of Todd and Seafood, the London-based band was formed in 2005 around singer Akiko “Exceedingly Good Keex” (she also sings plays drums in her own band Comanechi and in The Big Pink, and has another side-project named Sperm Javelin), who made a name for the band with her extensive stage diving and by frequently taking the stage clothed only in her underwear. Only months after the band's debut gig (which was done with the band secluded from the audience, the latter able to see the band through barred windows beneath them), the band released its debut EP Treasure Trails (also released as 7-inch EP through Blood Of The Drash) to great success. Immediate result was a contribution to a 2006 4-way split, double 7-inch gatefold EP, also featuring Dmonstrations, Crack Und Ultra Eczema, and AIDS Wolf, and released through Lovepump United. Before the end of the year was through, the band also saw a track of theirs on the Counter Culture compilation CD Rough Trade's Shop. 2007 not only saw Pre splitting a 10-inch EP in half with Bardo Pond in June (as part of the Keep Mother Series), but also releasing their 14-track, 20-minute long debut full-length Epic Fits on Skin Graft Records/ Lovepump United in September...as well as several split 7-inch EP's (one with Comanechi and a 4-band split with Crystal Castles, Teenagers, and Xhisky Vs. Faith on Merok Records, and one with AIDS Wolf – originally an Eastern European bootleg – through Skin Graft). Pre was definitely hot, as proven by the successful US tours (including a sold-out CMJ showcase at the Knitting Factory) and a 2-page spread in the Spin magazine which ensued. Late in 2008 (on November 11, to be precise), Pre (alongside Yowie, Colossamite, and Mule) contributed an AC/DC cover (of “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheep” in Pre's case) to tribute single Sides 11-14 (issued by Skin Graft), and June 2009 saw the band release their sophomore album Hope Freaks, an album recorded with Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio.

In the last two years things have been rather quiet around Pre, due to the fact that the members were concentrating on their extra-curricular band activities [in 2009 Male Bonding saw six split singles (with PENS, Eat Skull, and several others...and contributed to a GG Allin tribute album; in 2010 they first released their debut full-length album Nothing Hurts on the Sub Pop label, and that same year released the EP's Covers and Nothing Remains – the first self-released, the other via Sub Pop – as well as the two Sub Pop singles Daytrotter and Pay For Me/ Before It's Gone/ Dum Dum Girls (both apparently with non-album songs). Akiko mainly kept herself busy with Comanechi, but also with her other side-projects, and not only had a short stint in Big Pink (a 4AD band), but also collaborated with photographer/ filmmaker Richard Kern.] to the point that fans of the band were beginning to fear the band had found its demise.

But nothing was less true, and the band returns with their Third Album, which is at the same time released  as what is called “...the first ever 7-inch vinyl 'LP' in history...”, with 5 short songs (adding up to a mere 7:58) recorded with Steve Albini, and as a 13-track album (for which the band assembled 8 additional rare and previously unreleased tracks...which, thanks to two over-3-minute long ones, adds up to almost 16 minutes, and makes the total album length of the CD version come to 23:45).

Okay...but what does this band sound like? Listed as being influenced by Melt Banana, similar artists would be AIDS Wolf (aah...I think I came across that band before) and UUVVWWZ (uh...never heard of 'em!). In case you don't know those bands, imagine two bass player pummeling on a steady up-tempo drum, the guitar interspersing the whole with wacky and sharp-sounding lead and rhythm parts, and the (female) singer going at it at the top of her voice, with a male singer occasionally giving her backings. The whole kinda reminisced me of female-fronted Crass! If those description don't do it for you, all you can do next to get an idea of what Pre sounds like, is to listen to some of their music at either (www.) skingraftrecords.com/pre (3 songs off Epic Fits, as well as a couple of live videos) or (www.) myspace.com/preprepre (2 songs off Hope Freaks and 3 additional ones off Epic Fits). No material off the new album available yet, but the stuff is very comparable, and I'm afraid it's a “love it or hate it” situation. Me, I love...love very much! To the point of adding Third Album to my 2011 yearlists!

98/100