BOOK M

Whereas the previous albums by Secret Chiefs 3 - the two Grand Constitution and Bylaws albums - had roved all over the musical map, Book M seems to be a much more cohesive piece - possibly due to Mr Bungle's demise (or, at least, long-term hiatus) forcing Trey Spruance to think of the Secret Chiefs as his main project rather than a sideshow. This time around, the band focus on merging the Middle Eastern and ambient electronic dance music aspects of their sound, creating a curious blend of the very traditional and very modern.

Such a mixture of different elements of the band's music is, of course, in keeping with the alchemical themes of the album, though it would take an esotericist who had carefully studied all the books Spruance has read to figure out what he's on about here; the important thing is that this album shows an important maturation in the sound of Secret Chiefs 3 and is the best of their first three releases.