Yesterday, for the thousandth time, Kevin Shields confirmed his status as Music’s Biggest Troll, by announcing that My Bloody Valentine‘s follow-up to Loveless will – honestly, no, really, I promise – finally be released before the end of 2012.

Figuring out how to react to such bare-faced (tongue-in-)cheek is tricky, because he has been making the same occasional proclamations for – count them – 21 long, My Bloody Valentine-less years.

Whilst ANBAD appreciates any form of trolling, Kevin’s trolling-is-a-dish-best-served-cold approach is remarkable in its bravery, and ANBAD Towers has been ringin out with appreciative applause all day long.

Kevin Shields also meekly points out that not everyone will be pleased with this long, long, long-awaited album. Oh, Kevin, don’t let me down. Please push it for another 21 years, and then release a posthumous album of Cliff Richard covers. It’s the world’s latent desire.

Until then, I’m more than happy to make do with Bad Apes, who, like a few bands, have figured out Kevin Shields’ spaghetti-like guitar pedal arrangement, and have – indeed – aped the warm, wobbly sound to a tee.

The Pacifier Crashes may lean heavily on Loveless‘ drone and depth, but thankfully the band are smart enough to distance themselves from mere pastiche: and cleverly emphasise the oft-overlooked thrash-punk of MBV’s myriad influences.

Thus, vocals are thrust forward, howling, heavy and angered. The contrast between this and the softness of the guitars is almost perfectly balanced. Neither intrudes on the other, and both layers are appreciated simultaneously. Bad Apes are great. Let’s see if they can maintain this for 21 years, though.

MORE: soundcloud.com/badapes