AN A-BOMB TO WAKE UP

This is complicated and explosive. This is innovation and progression. Entirely instrumental, this album could easily make musicians stand openmouthed, wondering just how such music is written. No matter how chaotic they seem, all the compositions are dense and carefully structured. There are no improvisations or solos despite the influences of prog-rock or avant-jazz in their music. But there are lots of complex and dissonant guitar interplay, angry and crushing angular riffing, insane time and key changes, mind- pounding and panicked sounds, thought-expanding pauses and weird noise-drones. An A-Bomb To Wake Up is too overwhelming and complicated for an average listener to listen to, and much less to understand.

Holy freaking sheet. Sorry, I’m still on emotions…

First of all, do never listen to this album if you care for your mental state. I’m serious now. It can cause some major disorder within your head; it can turn you into some kind of trance-possessed freak; it may blow your mind easier than any other thing which lasts lesser than 45 minutes. I won’t dare to call this music because I’ve used to call music some other sounds not these ones! I won’t dare to treat these tracks as “songs”, because they’re not! It feels like all album was improvised, but it’s played so tightly despite some loose places (including long pauses within tracks with amplifier noises) that I won’t believe it’s improvised. Or maybe then IAMABOVEONTHELEFT is a some kind of octopus-like monster, playing two guitars and rhythm-section at once. You need examples? I doubt we have them, sir. Okay, let’s say MESHUGGAH plays CRIMSON’s “The Great Deceiver” boxset. No, wait, NIRVANA jams over early Stravinsky’s stuff. Ermm…maybe, it is THE MARS VOLTA has ridden of Cedric and their sax player and plays instrumental avant-death-metal?

Now check those videos on YouTube. Then rush on RAIG web-site and purchase your copy of IAMABOVEONTHELEFT (there are few dozens left as long as I know). The band is on a hiatus – mainly due to lack of attention – so it’s in your hands if they will go on. Make the future!!!

This is something that lies between KING CRIMSON and SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM. It might seem to be somewhat chaotic and disordered, even annoying at first take, but it improves with each next approach. At second take this is pretty weird and fascinating music, with elements of avant-guarde, metal, ambient (!) and something else that is really hard to determine. The album title tells you that this stuff is best used at midnight or early morning, when all your neighbours are asleep. Strong guitar riffs accompanied by powerful drum section hammer your head in various tempo ranging from adagio to presto or even vivo, reaching crescendo very suddenly. Well, I cannot write anymore, just go and listen to it once again... 5 stars for their madness!

Distorted scratching guitars, dark atmosphere and some angular math rock sound constructions. Shortly I can describe this second album of Russian avant-prog instrumental quartet I AM ABOVE ON THE LEFT (don't try to find them in Russia under that name, it's just a translation of their original name in Russian).

Sound is noisy, almost metallic in moments, explosive,dirty and even industrial. But possibly most interesting element of all this quite uncomfortable music is it contains some dramatic, melodic,almost theatrical atmosphere. American math rock, Russian classical music and Japanese brutal noise avant mixed in one and brewed on irrational Russian land. I can perfectly see this album as excellent soundtrack to modern version of Dostoevsky's "Idiot" on theatrical scene.

One of the best noisy avant-prog album, released east from Eastern Europe,I ever heard.