This audacious power trio delivers the sort of sonic blast that hasn’t been felt since bassist Bill Laswell’s ’80s bands Massacre and Last Exit. In Finnish guitar wiz and sonic provocateur Raoul Björkenheim, Laswell has found the perfect replacement for the late Sonny Sharrock in his ongoing mission to shock and awe. Swedish progressive-rock veteran Morgan ?…gren is the perfect drummer to propel this tumultuous tidal wave of sound. He demonstrates his hyper-drumming prowess on “4-4-4-4-2-2-2-5-2” as Björkenheim shreds furiously on top. “Ghost Strokes” and “Invisible One” recall Jimi Hendrix’s decidedly jazzy jamming with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding on “Third Stone From the Sun,” and the aptly titled “Drill Beats” hits like an iron fist upside the head. “Storm” and “Cinque Roulettes” are both post-Slayer excursions into a grinding metal maelstrom. Blixt is not for the faint of heart.
Originally PublishedRaoul Björkenheim/Bill Laswell/Morgan Ågren: Blixt
JazzTimes may earn a small commission if you buy something using one of the retail links in our articles. JazzTimes does not accept money for any editorial recommendations. Read more about our policy here. Thanks for supporting JazzTimes.
