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Ahleuchatistas, "The Same and the Other"
This rare second album from the band gets new life, five extra bonus tracks, and a bit wider recognition on its reissue on Tzadik (on the "Fullforce Composer Series," seriously John, is there a series to go along with every album you release?). All kidding aside, that is a pretty good description of the style presented here. Shards of metal, hardcore punk, jazz, and the avant garde all come together here, somehow as a congealed package.
Very much in-line with what is commonly referred to as math rock, Ahlecuhatistas expand past just musical complexity as narcissistic masturbation (no overwrought solos or the like here), but thrive on the dense interplay of the trio. As chaotic as it all sounds, a close listen reveals it is not the result of noodling or improvisation, but instead carefully calculated and planned composition. At the same time, the short (mostly sub-four minute) track lengths limit self-indulgence.
In that regard it is stylistically not all that removed from some of Zorn's own work, notably Naked City, but instead of the rapid shifts in genre, it is more the mood, tempo and structure that are the variables. It lacks that same gonzo "broken radio on seek mode" quality, but feels more coherent because of it. The frequent shifts and stop-start nature of some of the tracks lend a very invigorating, exciting sense to the work which ensures it stays out of the realms of stuffy musicologist beard stroking and a little more something that’s just entertaining as opposed to beard stroking music.
Tracks like "Good Question" emphasize that balance, the mid-point of the track features some extremely dexterous high end guitar picking that would make pretentious jazz cats snap their fingers at how much they're "digging it, maaan" before blasting head-long into hardcore punk grind.
Although there is really no time for "soloing," it's not hard to hear how all three members are extremely proficient at their instruments: Shane Perlowin's guitar work is constantly frantic, yet impeccably timed, Derek Poteat's bass often vacillates from distorted metal lead to carefully measured jazz riffs (see opener "Cracked Teeth") while drummer Sean Dail plays with manic rapid fire energy on "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and does a great speed metal double kick drum track on "RPG 3."
The five additional bonus tracks appended at the end of the disc are an entirely different entity in some regards, as they are functionally just live improvisations of the band as opposed to the highly structured and composed nature of the rest of the album. Without a disclaimer in the liner notes of this, however, I think most would be hard pressed to recognize the difference. That alone is a testament to how well this band works together and plays upon each other's strengths.
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