It’s one thing to create some riff-filled rock that can capture the attention of listeners of all creeds and stylistic preferences, but there is something about tossing in some psychedelia that makes it feel so much more potent and a lot more tantalizing by all accounts. It has led to many bands of all kinds in the world of rock to creating music the likes of which many of us thrive off of on a daily basis, and that constant stream of glory shows no signs of stopping any time soon with Apewards being just one name in an ocean of others, but it’s this humble EP that shows us how this name can stand out even if it’s just a little.

Just four tracks that don’t even result in a 20-minute EP is hardly something that many of us would look towards in order to find an experience that we’ll be getting enjoyment out of for years to come while the name of the band continues to power on, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Apewards would be able to defy those very odds after delivering something like what we see in the first issue of “Peaks”. There aren’t very many laws of rock that have much sway in this work more so than that of the riff and the attitude for it’s in those two departments in particular that Apewards excels in as they do their best to infuse both of them into every second of this EP to deliver us something that’s not just captivating, but damn good by all accounts. It’s a creation that you could effortlessly throw on while doing virtually anything from taking a drive on a nice day to relaxing at home after a long day at work for “Peaks” is packed with euphoric instrumentation, captivating vocals, and hypnotic rhythms that hold the attention of the listener without wavering for even a moment as Apewards does no less than dominate the arena that they’ve crafted for themselves here. It results in an EP that is still some ways from anything that’s to be considered mind-melting, but it should not be lost on anyone who listens to “Peaks” that Apewards has made something that’s just as spectacular as it is flavorful.

No matter how soon a second volume is to be made after the release of this effort, “Peaks” is something that I can almost not recommend enough for anyone looking for quality rock that’s absolutely overflowing with riffs for days while it’s all being expertly dripped in psychedelia to make it a potent effort by all accounts. Apewards are far from newcomers to the scene, but it is with this EP that this act has opened the door to the greater scene in order to swoon people with straight up quality that just simply cannot be denied for all of its glory.

“Peaks: Vol. 1” releases on December 18th!

LISTEN to Apewards on Bandcamp here.

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