Fact #116522

Of Montreal, one of the few Athens, Georgia, bands to make a lasting impact in the wake of R.E.M., are in superstar form on their thirteenth album. It blasts into life with the Bolan-channeling stomp of Bassem Sabry, named for the brilliant Egyptian journalist who died last year, then going a bit more Bowie on Last Rites At The Jane Hotel before sounding rather more like themselves on the beautifully-constructed Empyrean Abattoir. Yes, despite influences worn high on their sleeves, Kevin Barnes’ psychedelic-glam quintet definitely boasts its own sonic identity, snotty and angry, hyper-intellectual and loadsafun. An acquired taste but well worth acquiring.
(Source : Johnny Black review in HiFi News, March 2015)