FLYING MICROTONAL BANANA

This has been called their Krautrock album and it smokes! I just can't get over how consistently great this album is with no weak tracks or even moments for me unless you consider hearing "rattlesnake" a hundred times on the opener. This album is a mood changer as is "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" and "Nonagon Infinity" the two GIZZARD albums I've reviewed before this one. There's a ton of energy here that makes it difficult to keep still and I'm okay with that. They use an instrument called a zurna that brings the Middle east to mind with it's shrill sound and it adds a lot to the mood here.

"Rattlesnake" opens with the wind blowing fairly hard before it kicks into this energetic assault to the senses. This is an 8 minute blast! The zurna comes in taking no prisoners before 5 minutes then more wind gusts. "Melting" is such an awesome track. Kind of jazzy with those softer but urgent vocals but check out the opening drums. And how about those distorted keyboards, so good! Great track! "Open Water" is a top three with those ethnic sounds but man such a groove with beats and bass all over it. The zurna rips in before 3 minutes then back to vocals. The fast paced vocals before 4 1/2 minutes are cool. This might be my number one or at least tied with the next track "Sleep Drifter" a track I felt stood out above the rest from the first spin but "Open Water" has since come close at least.

"Sleep Drifter" just sounds amazing with the picked guitar, beats and high pitched vocals to start out. But come on this just blows me away. A high energy top tapper. It's pretty cool when we get a calm and your thinking it's over but it slowly builds to an even groovier piece of music and I'm just bobbing to this like nobody's business. Check it out 4 minutes in. Love that guitar. "Billabong Valley" has these high pitched distorted vocals with piano and beats. The zurna replaces the vocals. So good! Back to the vocals as the piano rips it up. Love that bass giving us some depth and how about the drumming. I'm laughing here then a calm with picked guitar that builds with all but the vocals returning including the zurna. Vocals replace the zurna but they trade up some more.

"Anoxia" is a heavier sounding piece with some cool sounding guitar melodies that are replaced by the vocals. Nice bass and beats as usual. Lots of intricate microtonal sounds. "Doom City" opens with distortion and echoes before this motorik groove takes over. Krautrock 101 then the vocals come in fast paced. Sounds like a deranged harmonica after 2 minutes. "Nuclear Fusion" is my final top three but man every track is great. Deep processed vocals replace the drums then bass before we get that awesome sounding groove with vocals. Too catchy man. Swaying and swaying. Love the keys before 1 1/2 minutes and later before 2 minutes as it comes and goes. Again not fair how melodic this band is within high end compositions and sounds. This is my music. "Flying Microtonal Banana" ends it in a very exotic way with the zurna all over it but also ethnic strings and sounds. An instrumental to end it all.

My first 5 star GIZZARD album and so it's no surprise that it's their Krautrock record that hit that level first. The fireworks have been relentless here tonight on Canada Day I must say. Music is blasting outside but not over mine(haha).