Part of Trent Reznor's reinvention from industrial-pop starlet to the major-label bucking tastemaker has been his choice of opening acts for Nine Inch Nails tours. Nobody expected Reznor, who is more closely associated with Marilyn Manson than the Jesus Lizard, to become hip, but New York's A Place to Bury Strangers aren't doing much speculating. The trio will open for Nine Inch Nails on a string of dates later this month, and they are "psyched" about the opportunity.
"That's one of the most honorable, noble things," frontman Oliver Ackermann said about being hand-picked by Reznor. "Hopefully, anyone who would be in that same position would do the same thing."
Ackermann also sympathizes with Reznor's approach to releasing records.
"People focus too much on trying to pinch every penny out of it, sort of taking it in the wrong direction," he said.
If you've read at least one blog or article about the band, you'll notice that the phrase "the loudest band in New York" is commonplace. While A Place to Bury Strangers can pack a wallop, Ackermann hesitates to call his band the absolute loudest.
"It all kind of depends on the venue," he said. "We just like playing at a volume that sounds good to us."
Volume is only part of the equation. There is an underlying pop sensibility, albeit a dark one, a la early '80s The Cure, beneath many of the songs, especially the bouncy revenge anthem "To Fix the Gash in your Head" and the more straightforward "My Weakness." The jarring difference between pop and noise makes creating music more interesting for Ackermann.
"It's a beautiful contrast. I grew up listening to '60s girl groups and The Beatles and Pink Floyd," he said. "I like listening to a song where you can hear these different elements and changes and having something come in layers."
A Place to Bury Strangers' 2007 self-titled release is not an actual album but a compilation of three self-released EPs, which explains the shifts in structures and moods. The album holds together well, despite the stark differences between the drifting "The Falling Sun" and the clubby "I Know I'll See You." Ackermann had some hesitation about releasing the EPs in one package. The band considered re-recording the songs but later rejected that idea. Ultimately, Ackermann is pleased with the self-titled release.
"That's the aesthetic that I really love - when things aren't necessarily perfect or we're using frequencies they say shouldn't be broadcast over the radio," he said.
An unintentional, though far from unexpected, result of A Place to Bury Strangers' approach is pushing machines beyond their breaking points. Ackermann is used to having to fix blown-out amps after shows, but even the band's recorded material has proven to be malevolent. Pressing the single for "Gash" destroyed two pressing machines in England, sparking a minor controversy.
"Someone wrote this press release where it was like 'the band is too loud, so it destroyed the machine,' and we all thought that was kind of funny," Ackermann said.
A Place to Bury Strangers will play at Emo's on Sunday night. The Boxing Line and UME will support.
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