We talk a lot about great bands that are ‘new blood’ and ‘up and coming’, that it’s the natural path to take. So there’s a somewhat odd feeling of getting into a band just as they pack up their things and call it a day — but don’t let that put off experiencing the weird world of Adebisi Shank.
Across eight years and three albums, this Irish trio honed and perfected a strange mix of math and post-rock that sits somewhere in between the uplifting and joyous world on the newest And So I Watch You From Afar album and the electronic influence of the latest Mogwai album. If you couldn’t tell by the name and album artwork of their most recent work This Is The Third Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank , it’s a delightfully off-kilter and altogether weird listen that ranges from huge rock riffs to almost chip-tune-esque sounds and sprawling every point between as though The Fall Of Troy had grown up with an intense love for the classic Sonic game soundtracks.
It’s a shame then, that following two final shows in their home country and one seemingly unannounced one at a later date, the band have decided to call it quits — with their Facebook page stating:
THIS IS THE END OF A BAND CALLED ADEBISI SHANK
Dear friends,
We hereby announce the end of a band called Adebisi Shank. From the three of us to all of you, thank you for coming with us on this crazy journey. To Cathy and the Sargent House crew past and present, thank you for believing in us.
Life and music moves on – Lar is making music in All Tvvins, Vin is producing/mixing, working on video games and other cool stuff as VMC Sound, and is also one half of Speed of Snakes. Mick will continue to train for his UFC career.
You can read the rest in full on their page.
But again, don’t let this abrupt end stop from checking the band out, especially the aforementioned Third Album. Head over to their bandcamp page and have a listen to one of the more underrated and out-there records of 2014.
– DL