Autobahn – ‘Seizure’
It doesn’t come around often, but when it does, you know you’ve been utterly seen to. No, I’m not talking about a sordid night of pissed-up sleaze with a philandering love rat from a dingy city-shot bar. I’m talking about a tune—or an album—that, once it rears its ugly head, has the power to upheave your entire sense of being, shake the walls, and tap into the darker corners of our nature. The parts most of us are either unaware of or in deep denial about.
For me, the whole of Search and Destroy held that power for a long time. Then Drenge came along. Now, a Preston-based band called Evil Blizzard are actively corrupting the hearts and souls of the UK as we speak. But for now, it’s Leeds lads Autobahn who have acrimoniously seized the undivided attention of my Mr Hyde side. Their newly released record, Seizure, is today’s Far Out Track of the Day.
Seemingly taking musical inspiration from Brian Eno’s stripped-back macabre masterpiece Third Uncle, Seizure kicks off with enough feedback to choke on before ascending into the manic chaos its opening seconds allude to. Throughout, we’re assaulted by a barrage of riffs that can only be likened to the final, lingering wail of an overwhelmed banshee—riddled with the harrowing lyrics of lead vocalist Craig Johnson as he recounts the all-too-familiar moment his own mind gave in.
“Waiting for the next time I drop to the floor / Like a big dead weight falling through the devil’s claws, to you”.
It’s hard to believe that Autobahn have only been gigging together for a few short months. The frenetic energy of Seizure suggests a band whose members have been bound together for a lifetime—perhaps through various secure asylums. November will bring the release of their debut EP via Tough Love, along with the continuation of a tour that includes support slots for Girls Names and the ever-present Far Out favourites, Eagulls.
If I were you, I’d grab a copy of the EP or catch this lot live while you can; if this gets any darker, there’s just no telling how many chances you may have left.
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