Piranhas Can Fly - Shoot'Em

Piranhas Can Fly

Shoot'Em
self-released; 2015

3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Montreal, Quebec post-rock band Piranhas Can Fly recently released Shoot'Em, which is their debut three-song EP. I like what I’m hearing for a number of reasons. After Explosion In The Sky seeped into mainstream music which had a sense of nostalgia and hopefulness seemed to run ubiquitous and bands were mimicking it left and right. The post-apocalyptic far darker style, which was pioneered by bands such as Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor seemed to have hit its peak at the turn of the century and while not forgotten about was becoming a relic of the past. Piranhas Can Fly’s music has an affinity for the latter and feels as relevant as ever.

The band has been together for a little over a year and they still have some kinks in their armor but these three songs while enjoyable in their own right point to a band that has a great deal of potential. First up is  “Shoot'Em Dead” which slowly eases you into their essence with warm, ominous pad and guitar manipulation. The drones combine with a provocative bass line that is very Mogwai-esque and it doesn’t take long for guitars to enter into the mix.

As the song progresses the band finds a number of impressive grooves that any fan of the genre will appreciate. At around the five-minute mark the song starts to climb peaks in epic post-rock fashion that lends itself to classic Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

“Eastwood” is swampy, dark and gritty. I think it was the highlight and the drumming is exceptional on this track. You are treated to some double bass drum action and distorted bass, which was stellar. I thoroughly loved the crunch this song had between the juxtaposed guitar and bass tones. The band closes with a purely ambient piece entitled “Pluie Fantôme” that runs a little under four minutes. It serves as the serene calm after the storm and does so well.

Piranhas Can Fly is a solid post-rock band and I have to say it’s nice to hear them not gravitating towards melodramatic, nostalgia in the vein of Explosion In The Sky. I’m looking forward to hearing how the band develops.

Become A Fan

Tweet