IN A FLESH AQUARIUM

In a Flesh Aquarium is an album of disturbing creativity and excellence, shattering conventions with manic zeal for chaos and invention. Imagine a band of travelling gypsies, playing heavy metal with the utmost technical flair and intensity, on a vaudeville stage in an mental asylum, with Satan sitting in as a guest vocalist/instrumentalist throughout, as the world explodes all around, and you may have some idea of what listening to this album like.

For starters, it's heavy... very heavy. Every song positively roars with a unique menace, and most feature relentless fretwork and gymnastic vocals from the chorus manic throats. Leads are done by a female vocalist, whose clear voice only highlights the instrumental complexity. Expect plenty of squeals, roars, chatterings, etc. from the male vocalists, who create a cast of characters with their vocalizations.

ChaotH's bass is nothing short of earth shaking, while the two guitarists go at each other's throat with sadistic zeal. Their riffing is like a tidal wave of energy while their solos kinesthitize with hilarious logical complexity. The rhythm section is just as good, with the keys especially standing out as the most joyously insane of the bunch, playing counter melodies and harmonies which by themselves would be like the aimless mutterings of a lunatic, but when added to the whole create a delicious slice of texture.

Bottom line, the instrumentalists are amazing, and their avant garde stylings are not for the faint of heart; yet, the songwriting is VERY far from simply being noise... this is a CACOPHONY! Pandemonium itself opens full its howling gates and lets loose this madness, which, after a genuine listen commands ones attention and reveals itself as the most perfectly crafted and enjoyable symphony of chaos.

What gives this album its longevity (and appeal beyond the initial shock of its sound), is the brilliant songwriting, which keeps a growing momentum throughout. The explosion rarely abates, but when it does it is an especially smart release in the tension, shifting gears utterly to a sonic soundscape of dark synth and effects. A brilliant balance of style and composition.

In short, In a Flesh Aquarium is a must for fans of heavy music, but especially those of the avant garde. However, as one who feels that most avant garde music is more noise than music, I can heartily recommend that those normally skittish of such madness give this one a serious listen as well. It's a one-of-a-kind explosion of creativity, intensity, and insane beauty.

Songwriting: 5 Instrumental Performances: 5 Lyrics/Vocals: 5 Style/Emotion/Replay: 5