BIRDS OF FIRE

Unlike the consensus according to ratings on this site, I think The Inner Mounting Flame is the better album by a slight margin. That having been said, I do believe both are masterpieces, and thus I am awarding Birds of Fire with 5 stars also. The opener, the title track, is a killer tune featuing a triple polyrhythm in 9/8 between the guitar, drums and violin/bass and along with the cornerstone piece "One Word," a ten-minute powerhouse, is one of two highlights for me. The album as a whole is a bit more abstract and "out there," so its a bit more difficult to get into and features fewer melodies and easily memorized sections. Of course, repeated listens will be rewarded.