DESTROY ALL MUSIC

Right off the bat, (apparently) immediately more satisfying and whole than their debut, Constructive Destruction (1994). The so-called "destruction" is far more "constructed" on this (from the few tracks off the debut that I have heard). And this disc is made occasionally more whole in the combination of its parts.

This is, according to them, "Spazzcore", to me, Agit-Avant-Angst (alright alliterations, all). Blazing fast performances; they definitely know how to hold one's attention. I trust an appropriate match for many fans of RIO and Avant-Rock generally. This will be barreling right into your eardrums. Get ready.

Naturally, with much Avant-Rock, there's plenty of humor in this (see the short "Sparrow's Thin Lot"). Sometimes, this is just chaos, like on "Splurge" or the scurrying, hurried and then almost noisily meditative "The Necessary Impossibility of Determinism" (great title, by the way). Unmelodious, raucous and rude. It will take a true RIO fanatic to appreciate the whole of this album.

Some tracks, such as "(In Progress...)", take chaos and hone it toward something as composed as one can possibly expect from the Flying Luttenbachers... The rhythm section must carry the compositions to their various ends. The guitar and the horns are wild and unruly (I can't believe I hadn't used this word yet haha). Certainly, not all is lost, and some listeners, as noted, will find pleasure throughout (I had a pretty good time, personally).

Sometimes, they just ham it up with something classic, as with the Avant-Jazz tune "Tiamet En Arc" (my favorite on the album). Other highlights include the opener, "Demonic Velocities/20,000,000 Volts" and "Fist Through Glass".

True Rate: 3.5/5.0