Born in Seattle but today resident in Brooklyn, Jim Black is known for bringing Balkan music into jazz, as a member of Pachora; for his band Human Feel, a staple of the New York downtown scene; and for sideman work with the likes of Dave Douglas, Tim Berne, Uri Caine and Laurie Anderson. But most of all, perhaps, the drummer is known for AlasNoAxis, an act that, as the blurb has it, re-worked jazz from within, just as Björk and Radiohead have done with popular music. Their approach doesn’t sound quite so revolutionary today, but Antiheroes is still a fine album, at times reminiscent of contemporary acts on Norway’s Rune Grammofon label, at others of Chicago post-rock band Tortoise. Despite the obvious virtuosity, there is an appealing sense of restraint – even if they do go a bit Melt Yourself Down on the urgent ‘Marguay’. The packaging is chunky and alluringly tactile too, if a tad macabre.