CLAM

Extraordinary Mayhem and Controlled Craziness

Here's a sprawling trio somehow comprised of two German dudes playing stick, baritone guitar, guitar, and electric violin- and a USA drummer.

Go figure.

And full disclosure: I'm not the sharpest pencil in the package, so I can't always tell which of these instruments are being manipulated, mangled, tormented, and explored with relentless restlessness.

I can usually pick out the percussion parts though.

Sophomore Release

"CLAM" is the second album to 'sproingg' from the fertile, febrile brains of these three far-flung musicians. Completely same line-up for both releases, and for me at least it at least partly explains the "Mind-Meld Explorations" handle I plonked down above.

Music like this requires some serious LISTENING SKILLS- these dudes need to pay attention (to each other), since there's so much going on in each whimsically titled track. There are vaping apes and gender-bending dogs, among other phenomenon, but these titles are simply icing over some quite adventurous musicianship happening.

And familiarity with each other's styles and proclivities certainly helps.

Mind-Meld Listening Skills

Yes, let me just reiterate- since the music rarely does- that such musical explorations, in which one guitarist on the left channel interacts with one Stickist (?) who 'seems' to be playing some stank dark bass-lines...and upper-register jangling chord patterns...or is that mellotron?!...duels with electric violin...and heavy-metal guitar...

My point being in case I'm not being clear: These musicians restlessly, relentlessly explore their instruments, wring sounds that beggar description, and push whatever boundaries they may encounter.

And Add to That

Well, percussion. Amidst, within, beneath, throughout the stringed synchronies and stardust-eries, the drums boldly, gently, vehemently, staunchly provide some kind of dextrous underpinnings and accents.

Words Fail

So, in about one hour, I found myself groping for footing, for descriptors, for some sense of the familiar.

No sooner did one eerie passage give way to more ominous lower-register riffage, than some vaguely recognizable sounds would leak out in the other earphone and add more layers of uncertainty.

Gloriously, maddeningly complex and challenging.

Rating?

I scoff at these ratings! How do you quantify this kind of mind-meld?

(But just because, I'll give it a try!). 4 frenzied, ferocious, fearless fandangos. "Excellent addition to any progressive rock collection- if you dare."