UNRAVEL

This Instinctual Herd

Let's Just Say This

There's basic music- three chords and a guitar.

Then there's Herd of Instinct. And I blame Mark Cook, that restless WARR-guitar wanderer- and I may be wrong about this, but maybe not.

Because who can stay rooted, elemental, or basic while holding that intimidating piece of musical hi-jinks? Hey Mark? How about getting a simple Strat or iconic Les Paul, and get back down here with us mortals?

But No!

HERD OF INSTINCT has to go gallivanting all over musical creation. No time for simple strums, soupy ballads, manly blasts of heavy metal. Worse yet, they pull unsuspecting musician friends from the musical spectrum limned by progressive rock, jazz, metal, horror shows, and deep space.

Then they too become infected with these sophisticated, complex, maddeningly dense and dark flights of musical genius, these challenging, cerebral explorations from some alternate dimension...

Listener, Beware!

Do you seriously expect to fully grasp what you are hearing, to file it in neat categories and genres and sub-genres, pigeon-hole these melodies that swoop in from Mars and then on to another corner of the multiverse?

Guess again! But by the way, "Unravel" is a fit name for this insane, skilled, somewhat arrogant display of oddly coordinated musicianship.

After all, you- haplessly hearing, dimly perceiving, nibbling at the edges of what is being proffered- the ominous, sometimes tribal and sometimes audacious percussion and drumming. The multiple wails, moans, flights, lushness, and space-speckles from keyboards, synthesized guitar (?), synthesizers. The rumbling, rambling, deep bass excursions- I don't even pretend to know from which part of which 'instrument' these sounds are emitted.

But Damn

Here's another gripe, Mr. Cook & Co. Improvisation? On this level? Well, it's just insanely wonderful- and that's a real problem for me. After all EVERYONE knows improv is meant to be a trumpeter in a jazz band or a guitarist in a blues band or whatever.

Not THIS- just take Markus Reuter as one example. Not THAT kind of endless stream-of-consciousness reverie flowing from the mind, heart, and soul of a beyond-the-pale talented fellow- THIS is not acceptable! Who else on the planet can hope to grasp, much less emulate, such musical finesse and form?

But I get it Mark!

Oh yes- your mission and your musical co-conspirators'- is to bring ordinary mortals into the herd, to stand chomping our cud, huddled together for warmth and comfort, listening glassy-eyed to such musical madness/joy/bliss- words fail. Such levels of creativity and expression seem designed only for one purpose. To keep us cattle humble and in one piece.

So That's It

I've had quite enough- for now. May whatever well(s) you and your precious HERD draw from remain deep, cool, and crystalline.

Constituted around multi-instrumentalist Mark Cook HERD OF INSTINCT are releasing albums nearly every second year since 2012. Concerning the music output though on the other hand it's quite an unpredictable project. I mean the ability to create eclectic compositions again and again, quasi as the framework for proper improvisational freedom. And then Cook's warr guitar playing obviously turns out to be a comfortable trademark throughout. Now due to this new album it was time at the latest to place some comments. The incredible cover picture alone makes curious, or what? Other musicians with a vivid presence aboard in recent years are both drummer Bill Bachman and Jason Spradlin, Rick Read (bass) as well as Mike McGary and Djam Karet member Gayle Ellett on additional keyboards.

Alltogether this is serving a lush sound due to a multi-varianted bunch of instruments being in place. I mean trumpet and flute included, also unbelievable variations concerning the bass input, including fretless and chapman stick, ambient synthesizer patterns all over, and diverse ethno/world styled percussion. I'm overly impressed by the album embracing tracks Conjure and The Plot which offer some heartwrenching atmosphere either, and a groovy behaviour on top in the same way. Regarding 'Unravel' we are dealing with some unreleased material from the past combined with new songs. Nevertheless it's a rounded effort. Complex yet melancholic stuff, sound-wise related to the likes of King Crimson, Djam Karet, Nodo Giordano, Trey Gunn, Markus Reuter. HERD OF INSTINCT is a definite recommendation if you already like music stuff from the aforementioned bands respectively artists.