FIRE!: (without noticing)

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Andreas Werliin (d, perc, radio)
Johan Berthling (b)
Mats Gustafsson (fl, fluteophone, bar s, elec)

Label:

Rune Grammofon

November/2013

Catalogue Number:

RCD 2146

RecordDate:

2012-2013

Their first statement since the 30-piece FIRE! Orchestra’s monumental Exit! was released at the beginning of this year, (without noticing) finds the Swedish trio hunkering back down to tight, aerodynamic grooves. By now, after five albums in four years, bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin have perfected a no-nonsense approach to the rhythm section, which reanimates the corpse of heavy late-1960s/early-70s blues rock in the vein of Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath: Berthling holds down lumbering, brontosaurus riffs with enough architectural immovability to afford Werliin the chance to flit around with a tightly-reined lightness, without ever diminishing the impact. Over this, sax-man Mats Gustafsson calls forth mournful, dirge-like moans that add dramatic depth, before opening out into the kind of caustic blasts Steve McKay added to The Stooges’ Fun House, before spiralling inevitably up into raw, bleeding altissimo. Just in case anyone wasn’t sure about the trio’s damaging intent, the album is book-ended with several minutes of harsh, electronic noise. Proceed with caution.

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