Tags
ape law, indie, maybe human, metal, music, music review, planet of the apes, post rock, prog rock
January 2023 Update: This album is now available to everyone!
Maybe Human’s album Ape Law is a hard-rockin’ tribute to the original Planet of the Apes movies. Each song contains samples of iconic lines of film dialogue which are sure to please longtime fans, and they even work artistically if you lack that context.
But don’t expect the eerie atonality of the first film’s original soundtrack. Instead, you’ll be treated to a combination of post-rock melodies and prog-metal riffs that bring to mind bands I like such as Tool, If These Trees Could Talk, Tuber, and Cambrian Explosion. Maybe Human even throws in a few electronica vibes and some industrial riffage in the vein of vintage Ministry albums. Ape Law is an ambitious combination of sounds and genres, but somehow it all works and feels cohesive thanks to the unifying theme and outstanding bass and guitar performances.
In case you haven’t seen the original films, Ape Law is based on the idea that the apes had two fundamental laws concerning social relationships. One: Ape shall never kill ape. Two: Humans shall never say no to an ape. Clearly, these are a comment on racism, fascism, slavery, and the subjugation of an “out group” by an “in group”, but this instrumental album is not in any way a political manifesto. It’s an affectionate tribute to a beloved series, and the only axe Maybe Human has to grind is an axe with six strings.
The full album was released on November 25, 2022, and Maybe Human made the first track available for your listening pleasure. (See the video at the top of this post.) You can purchase the complete album on Bandcamp at https://maybehuman.bandcamp.com/. There are both digital download and vinyl versions available.
Now take your stinking paws off my blog, you damn dirty apes!
Mars Will Send No More 