God DAMN I love The Netherlands. Timo Ellis (Joan As Police Woman, Cibo Matto) singing and JAPA on drums with a rotating bass element make dark scary sexy fun surreal funny psychedelic thrash at doom metal speeds that suddenly explode with guitar lines that give punk bands a run for their money.

Using more effects pedals than HEALTH, Timo warps twists funnels distorts loops re-sequences and otherwise destroys both his guitar and voice to provide a series of unholy chunky sounds that sounds like a combination of every bad trip in the 1960s happening at once and the screams of any hapless H.P. Lovecraft protagonist gazing into the maw of eternity. It’s not noise rock, it’s noise ROCK but cut through with an improvisational aspect to the melody which gives songs a different sound from one performance to the next as Timo adjusts and readjusts knobs based on what he feels at that moment, freeing psyche rock from the convention of careful, staid chord progressions.

It’s like if Led Zepplin read Moorcock rather than Tolkien and stole from hard bop instead of blues.

Gato Au Chocolat, the previous release from The Netherlands, was well loved last year, as was their live performance at the Pool Parties over the summer. Then they kind of disappeared, had a member shuffle and then re-appeared out of nowhere playing a handful of dates in support of their new release Fantasmatic, replacing the traditional bass with new member Pete Drungle on synthbass.

Unfortunately, scheduling being what it is, I didn’t have a chance to check out the new material or new line up until last night’s show at The Charleston. It was my first time there for a show, but I’d read that it was kind of small, and that doesn’t really do it justice. My apartment is larger than the Charleston’s music area but they have great sound. The earlier acts, an earnest pop punk act and a shoegaze act both sounded great through the system and The Netherlands were able to be quite loud while also being very clear.

Last night’s show was a blend of older songs done with new arrangements and the longer, more epic material taken from Fantasmatic. The new songs tend to be longer and have lyrics which have been developed a bit more than the older material, or at least brought more to the forefront of the sound, the best representation of this can be found in the short blast “Now You Know” which is just staccato free association phrases which get hit with the chorus “Now You Know.”

Older material such as the absolutely epic “Architeuthis vs Terducken” which is instrumental in that Timo’s voice becomes a looping bit of screamed nonsense that interacts with the guitar and basslines distilling a lot of more metal techniques into to the psyche punk Netherlands mold. “GoGo Dancer” and “Gato Au Chocolate” made appearances, as did “Warleola!” Which I didn’t even recognize as that song until the chorus kicked.

The addition of synthbass is great. It provides an electronic, anti-organic edge which complements the guitar and vocalizations perfectly, allowing it to fill out the soundfloor and a very forceful manner. Japa’s drumming was great as it was before, with newer songs requiring some very abrupt time / tempo changes and full blast to rest staccato dexterity.

The Netherlands just may be the best band you’re not yet seen. You owe it to yourself to change that. Why go see yet another tweeindiepopsynthsuperstar sing about awkward crushes when you can have your ear canals drilled clean through?

ADDENDUM:
So you’re totally down and stoked to see The Netherlands now, so what’s up?

5/23 Cakeshop, see them in a larger venue.
6/2 Trash Bar
6/25 Pianos

For serious, go see this band.