Free Nelson Mandoomjazz: The Shape of Doomjazz to Come/Saxophone Giganticus

Rating: ★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Rebecca Sneddon (s)
Paul Archibald (d, perc, p, org)
Colin Stewart (b)

Label:

Rarenoise

April/2014

Catalogue Number:

RNR039

RecordDate:

September 2013

This Edinburgh trio could well be a contender for worst band name of all time. On this double EP they're doing their best to align themselves to doom jazz, a sub-genre popularised by bands such as Bohren & de Club of Gore, which seeks to capture the heavy, down-tempo gloom and glower of doom metal, interpreted through jazz instrumentation with plenty of room for improvisation. Colin Stewart's puking fuzz-bass is the defining sound here, locking onto Paul Archibald's clumsy, open hi-hat plods to create serviceably weighty riffs. But they're badly let down by Rebecca Sneddon's weedy alto, which spends a lot of time up in the highest altissimo reaches without ever achieving the savagery or power of prime skronk. In fact, her tremulous tones sound more like a Turkish ney – a thin, otherworldly shimmer that completely undermines the bone crushing intent. To add insult to injury, a cover version of Black Sabbath's self-titled signature tune isn't even credited to its originators.

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