Pendulum - Propane Nightmares

So the wait is over. After an agonizing hiatus, the lads from Perth are back with the first cut from their brand new full-length artist album In Silico. With the almost outrageous success of Hold Your Colour now a fading memory, there are understandably immense expectations riding on this sophomore release from drum n’ bass heavyweights Pendulum, and Propane Nightmares is the first taste of what is to come.

While the opening horns sound remarkably like something from The Cat Empire, it’s not long before Rob Swire’s commanding vocals bring a touch of melancholy to the proceedings. Then the first round of drums start to pound and you can immediately feel the tempo build to one of those inevitable Pendulum climaxes. Once the synthetic, ballsy buzzsaw of a bassline explodes we get largely what we expect; a track firmly rooted in the Pendulum sound with soaring melodies, haunting vocals harmonies and incredibly tight production. Interestingly, Swire’s voice is placed more firmly at the front of the mix than at any time on Hold Your Colour, making this one of their most song-like releases to date.

It must be said that on the whole, this single does not really pack any major surprises. While hardcore DnB heads will probably whinge about it being too ‘pop’, there is plenty to like here and certainly enough to keep the excitement building for the imminent release of their album.