REVIEW: ISKRA 1903 - BUZZ SOUNDTRACK

 

 ISKRA 1903 - BUZZ SOUNDTRACK (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded in London 1970 or 1971

Artwork by Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Buzz Trio1; 2- Buzz Trio 2; 3- Buzz Trio 3; 4- Buzz Trio 4; 5- Bass and Trombone; 6- Trombone and Guitar; 7- Guitar and Bass; 8- Bass Solo 1; 9- Trombone Solo 1 ; 10 - Guitar Solo 1; 11- Buzz Trio 5; 12- Bass Solo 2; 13- Trombone Solo 2; 14- Guitar Solo 2; 15- Buzz Trio 6; 16 - Buzz Trio 7; 17- Buzz Trio 8; 18- Buzz Trio 9; 19- Bass Solo 3; 20- Trombone Solo 3; 21 Guitar Solo 3

For those who doesn´t know it, Iskra 1903 is a trio that puts together the talents of superb improvisational musicians like Paul Rutherford (trombone), Derek Bailey (amplified guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass). This guys are masters of spontaneous music and improvisations and they show it through all their recording. In fact this is a CD that was originally recorded in 1970/1971 and showcases all the habilities of the trio. In fact I think that the pieces that I liked most are the ones where the thre musicians play together because here you can feel not only their individual skills but also the mental connection that they have between them. Rutherford trombone lines crash against Bailey´s drop rain like arpeggios and they are reshaped by Guy´s double bass phrases creating this magical pieces that you can listen on this recordings. Also the solo tracks are killer and here you can learn what this guys know about spontaneous music.

Favorite tracks: "Bass Solo I"; "Buzz Trio 4" and "Buzz Trio 9".

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: IRON MAIDEN - ROCK IN RIO

 

IRON MAIDEN - ROCK IN RIO (EMI, 2002)

Produced by Kevin Shirley

Recorded live in Rio de Janeiro; January 2001

Artwork by Peacock

Tracks: CD I: 1-Intro; 2- the Wicker Man; 3- Ghost of the Navigator; 4- Brave New World; 5- Wrathchild; 6- 2 Minutes To Midnight; 7- Blood Brothers; 8- Sign of the Cross; 9- The Mercenary; 10- The Trooper; 11- Brave New World (video)

CD 2: 1- Dream of Mirrors; 2- The Clansman; 3- The Evil that Men Do; 4- Fear of the Dark; 5- Iron Maiden; 6- The Number of the Beast; 7- Hallowed Be Thy Name; 8- Sanctuary; 9- Run To the Hills; 10- A Day in the Life (video)

This is a recording of a concert recorded in the beginning of 2001 (when Iron Maiden did their Southamerican tour with their new six-piece lineup). The recording features their entire set with two videos (one on each CD). The recording has a greta level compared to "A Real Live One", " A Real Dead One" and all that stuff. I liked the "Brave New World" album and there are plenty of songs from that album here. But nothing compares to the classics. Nothing compares to the glory of tracks like "Wrathchild" or "The Trooper". This is a proof that Iron Maiden needed a great singer and that they have got it with the return of Bruce Dickinson. And also it is a proof that they are still alive and kicking.

Favorite tracks: "Wrathchild", "The Trooper" and "The Number of the Beast".

Contact: www.ironmaiden.com

REVIEW: INTERVALLE BIZARRE / MALIGNANCY - SPLIT CD

 

INTERVALLE BIZARRE / MALIGNANCY - SPLIT CD (Shindy Prods., 2002)

Produced by Intervalle Bizarre and Malignancy

Recorded at Shhark Studio (Intervalle Bizarre) 

Tracks: Intervalle Bizarre: 1- Abortion by Muriatic Acid; 2- Disfigured Sculpture; 3- Raped Serenity; 4- Incomprehensible Movements; 5- Walking Corpse

MalignancY: 1- Fibroid Embolism; 2- Profitable Extinction; 3- Rotten Seed; 4- Post Fetal Depression; 5- Mortality Weakness

What a crushing split CD! First starts Intervalle Bizarre with their extremely technical death metal with some grind parts included (there are super fast blast beats in some places). Here the riffs are technical and there are multiple changes within each song. It is incredible the great sound that this band has (the second track, "Disfigured Sculpture" that starts as a grind track with some odd time rhythms is perfectly mixed and you can distinguish even the more subtle arrangements). There are some Pestilence influences in Intervalle Bizarre´s music, specially in the guitar riffs (also i find some Atheist in there too...great influences!). They end their half of the split with a Brutal Truth cover "Walking Corpse".Thumbs up for Intervalle Bizarre!!!

Then comes Malignancy with a sound that is not as good (the mix is a little bit lower than the one in the Intervalle Bizarre side, specially on the guitars). The music has amazing riffs !! I liked particularly the ones in "Post Fecal Depression" witha lot of pinch harmonics and some fills that are killer. Malignancy also is a very technical band prefering to explore the rhythm changes instead of some melodies (they use some odd timing here and there too). Their killer is guttural and makes the music really brutal. Brutality guaranteed with Malignancy.

Favorite tracks: "Disfigured Sculpture"; "Raped Serenity" and "Rotten Seed.

Contact: www.shindy.cz

REVIEW: INFIDEL? / CASTRO ! - CASE STUDIES IN BIOENTROPY

 

INFIDEL? / CASTRO ! - CASE STUDIES IN BIOENTROPY (Independent, 2001)

Produced by Infidel? / Castro!

Recorded at the Realm of Koland and La Casa de Alvarez

Artwork by Colin Marston and George Korein

Tracks: 1- The Violence of Hygiene; 2- The Act of Sterilization; 3- Objective Reality; 4- Mobius; 5- Spiraling; 6- Negativity; 7- Subjective Reality; 8- Circular thoughts; 9- A Hanging Man

Only reading the name of this band I thought "well, this guys must be really experimental". And they did not dissapoint me...their music while heavy has many elments that can be called industrila nad a lot of sound effects that create a dense atmosphere in all the tracks. There are interesting keyboard arrangements that bring twisted melodies and arrangements to the compositions. I think there is some improvisation too here in the parts that seem more chaotic. And that is how I would define this music....the perfect equilibrium between complete harmony and chaos. Fans of experimental music will be delighted with Infidel? / Castro!.

Favorite tracks: The whole CD. I like musicians who have the guts to experiment in the way that this guys do.

Contact: www.infidelcastro.com

REVIEW: IMMEMORIAL - MONOLOGUE

 

IMMEMORIAL - MONOLOGUE (Conquer Records, 2002)

Recorded at Selani Studio

Mastered by Adam Kuc

Tracks: 1- Forsaken in Nonentity; 2- A Monologue; 3- Wander Through Life; 4- Demons of Fate; 5- Under Delusion; 6- Born To Redeem; 7- A Nightmare; 8- Seized With Darkness; 9- Video Track

A brutal release but with a lot of finesse in the guitar work. In fact I liked a lot the contrast between the crushing rhythms and rotten vocals against the melodic guitar solos. This gives a lot of originality to the band. Also another thing that I liked are the breaks and the change of rhythmand riffs that they use within each song . The drums sound is strange but I liked it a lot (is really like listening to a machine instead of this technical guy.....the double bass is killer). There are some fast riffs that could be from a black metal band too and this along with the beforementioned guitar melodies. One point that is fundamental is the great sound tat this release has....it is possible to listen everything cristal clear even in the faster and more distorted parts. Get on your knees...Immemorial has arrived !!!!!!!

Favorite tracks: "Wander Through Life"; "Under Delusion" and "A Nightmare".

Contact: www.conquerec.com

REVIEW: HELL-BORN - HELLBLAST

 

HELL-BORN - HELLBLAST (Conquer Records, 2001)

Recorded at Hertz Studio

Artwork by Andrzej Zdrojewski

Tracks: 1- Intro; 2- Visions of Decline; 3- Raise the Dead; 4- The Victory; 5- Follow The Beast; 6- The Day of Wrath; 7- Inverted; 8- Hellraiser; 9- Those Are Dead But Shall rise; 10- Merciless Onslaught

Hell-born´s music is extremely raw and fast. Their riffs are played at hyper speed and the drummer loves doing blast beats and crushing your brain with them. Their music is what I would call black/thrash metal...and it is really powerful. Some bands come to my mind....Inferi, Usurper ....some Immortal things but all done with great personality (the way the vocals are treated is a trademark of Hell-Born´s music). Ojne of the things that I like most are the great riffs (the simple one at 2:14 of "The Vistory" is a killer one !!!!) very well conceived and the melodic solos (in "The Victory" you can have a sample of this too) that give a different dimension to the tracks and sometimes are connected with some melodic bridge. A killer release from this powerful band from hell!!

Favorite tracks: "Hellraiser"; "Follow The Beast" and "The Day of Wrath".

Contact: www.conquerec.com

REVIEW: HAN BENNINK / EVAN PARKER - THE GRASS IS GREENER

 

HAN BENNINK / EVAN PARKER - THE GRASS IS GREENER (Psi Records , 2002)

Produced by Evan Parker

Recorded at Gateway Studios

Artwork by Han Bennink

Tracks: 1- Traps of Appetite; 2- Traps of Instinct; 3- Outside the Usual Rules of the Eating Game; 4- Smoke of Sacrifice; 5- The Empty Hook; 6- Coyotes Are EatingPure Bred Poodles in Beverly Hills; 7- Pluto has a Moon; 8- To Tangle Lure and Snare

Here we have a duet CD from this two experimented improvisational musicians: Evan parker on saxophone and Han Bennink on percussion. The music here is really sponteneous and they call it in the booklet "instantcompositions". Everytime that I listen to Evan Parker I get really amazed by his flowing sax lines. He can start a solo line and don´t stop it till minutes later. The combination of this improvised runs and phrases with Bennink anarchic yet controlled percussion beats gives us the formula that makes this recording a unique experience. The two musicians know really well how to work together and this is evident on this CD. This CD is a must for people fan of experimental music in all its forms.

Favorite tracks: "Traps of Appetite"; "Smoke of Sacrifice" and "Pluto Has a Moon".

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: GERD DUDEK - SMATTER

 

GERD DUDEK - SMATTER (Psi Records, 2002)

Produced by Evan Parker

Recorded at Gateway Studios

Photographs by Caroline Forbes

Tracks: 1- Phrase Three; 2- Ma Bel; 3- Smatter; 4- Body and Soul; 5- By George; 6- The Peacocks

How beautiful are the sax phrases that Gerd Dudek plays through all this album. And how great a musician Gerd is. On this recording he plays with John Parricelli on guitar, Tony Levin on drums and Chris Laurence on bass, playing classic jazz with a lot of improvised solos. The main thing here is how to play with extremely melody and not loose spontaneity. And this is what Dudek achieves here: he plays the greatest solo lines (in fact all the musicians have their solo parts on each composition) with extreme melody and original phrases. The standards played here include the always amazing "Body and Soul" where a great musician like Dudek can develope many new ideas within a really melodic realm. For people who likes really good music played by a master musician.

Favorite tracks: "Phrase Three"; "Body and Soul" and "By George".

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: FREEDOM OF THE CITY 2001 - SMALL GROUPS

 

FREEDOM OF THE CITY 2001 - SMALL GROUPS (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded at the Freeedom of the City Festival

Tracks: CD 1: 1- Smibramar A; 2- Smibramar B; 3- Smibramar C; 4- WesedsanA; 5- Wesedsan B; 6- Wesedsan C; 7- Nickrahug A; 8- Nickrahug B; 9- Nickrahug C

CD 2: 1- Tho 1; 2- Tho 2; 3- Wrewashugdur 1; 4- Wrewashugdur 2; 5- Butber A; 6- Butber B; 7- Butber C; 8- Minrustur; 9- CoxRut; 10- CoxMinRusRutRur

This is a recording also done in the Freedom of the City 2001 Festival. But this 2 CD set consists in recording of small ensembles (and two solo pieces by the great Pat Thomas on piano). As always there are great musicians envolved in thsi projecys like Lol Coxhill, Phil Durrant, Veryan Weston and many others. There are excellent improvisations through all the CDs and I liked specially the Maggie Nicols (voice, tap dancing), Caroline Kraabel (alto sax, voice)and Charlotte Hug (viola) which experiments a lot with voices, uncommon instrument combinations and tap dancing. An excellent recording of this great Festival that I hope some day will come to Buenos Aires.

Favorite tracks: "Wesedsan B"; "Butber C" and " Nickrahug A".

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

REVIEW: FREEDOM OF THE CITY 2001 - LARGE GROUPS

 

FREEDOM OF THE CITY 2001 - LARGE GROUPS (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced by Martin Davidson

Recorded at the Freedom of the City Festival

Tracks: CD 1: 1- Trick on the Speed of Making It, 2- Daylight Receptacle

CD 2: 1- Flower of Flesh and Blood, 2- Morton´s Mobile; 3- Group Dynamics Around the Slide; 4- Concerto for Sylvia Hallett; 5- Double Rainbow; 6- Birthday Piece; 7- An If But To and When; 8- Proceeding 5

This is a 2-CD set in which the first one consists on two tracks (the first one is over 31 minutes) from a String improviser ensemble with great musicians like Phil Durrant, Chris Burn, Sylvia Hallett and John Russell to name just a few (the great Evan Parker appears in the second track and the second one is a big orchestra called the London Improvisers Orchestra. The London Improvisers Orchestra has many other instruments apart from the strings and here you can listen the talent of Lol Coxhill, Steve Beresford and many others. This recording was made in the Freedom of the City Festival 2001 and showcases the improvising and spontaneous skills of this group of talented musicians. The music contained here is highly experimental and spontaneous. It is great to see the communication between the musicians that is evident through all this recording. A great album from this extremely open minded musicians.

Favorite tracks: "Trick on the speed of making it"; "Concerto for Sylvia Hallett" and "Proceeding " .

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com