Review of Blotted Science "The Machinations of Dementia":
rate: 5/5
I really hate to start something with a quote from a "so-called" great author, but Vargas Lllhosa said once that there are three ways to read Guimaraes Rosa "Grande Sertao Veredas". He just was using the "onion" metaphor to describe the complexity of that Brazilian literature classic.
But if you put into this perspective the CD Blotted Science "The Machinations of Dementia", you are free to listen to it as you wish. In all kinds of perspectives.
It is notably because of its technical aspects, because of its brutality and for its concepts.
Ron Jarzombek ( Spastic Ink, Watchtower ) has developed a new technique to come up with chord progressions named "circle of the twelve tones" that is basically the circle of fifths and he looks for patterns at them and creates chord progressions. Rather than an exercise of harmony the technique creates non common patterns which will cause you to forget the modal harmony to write your favorite metal riffs. But after all if you dig headbanging, Blotted Science offers a lot of it, but it is instrumental!
It goes a lot further than Gordian Knot or the recent instrumental power trios like Liquid Tension Experiment, Bozzio Levin And Stevens, or even the first Spastik Ink album ( haven't heard the 2nd ) because it was totally written (not simply improvised ), arranged by Jarzombek and Alex Webster ( from Cannibal Corpse ) who provides a thunderous bass playing performance. I can only rival Alex with Steve Di Giorgio in the brutal part of metal and metal for the talent to play intricate lines in complex metal.
If you think that finding a drummer that could play this all is not easy, I should agree. Jarzombek and Webster tried 2 before finding
Charlie Zeleny from Behold The Arctopus. That guy is capable of handling the super complex time signatures dictated by the two other musicians and still add agression.
Take a look at the booklet, every track has a concept developed from brain pathologies and functioning. And they connect them to the music it self. Jarzombek has explained it in the
official forum, but perhaps you may find it at his
web site.
It is hard to find an album that creates a new paradigm. I honestly believe that only three bands are doing it Spiral Archicted, Meshuggah and Blotted Science. Every one of them in their own field into metal.
Listen to samples at :
http://www.myspace.com/blottedscience
And more of Ron Jarzombek's music at :
http://www.myspace.com/ronjarzombek
Plus, take a look at:
http://www.ronjarzombek.com/
The above links to Ron Jarzombek's web site, or in my view, the representation to the world of his musical lab.
A piece of advice fo buy it: get it from Ron directly. Cheaper and faster.
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