It's just a crying shame that bands like Trioscapes isn't all over the damn place - especially playing sweet clubs in my hometown...When jazz metal neo-fusion group Trioscapes put out their debut album Separate Realities two years ago, I was instantly hooked. I've always been a fan of the incredible showmanship that master jazz musicians display onstage together, always challenging each other without it ever seeming to be a pissing contest. It's synergy of the best kind.
And luckily, they've decided to make another album of hardcore jazz beauty. Case in point, the 3:55 mark of the title track is where some of the best jamming comes into play, carrying the player on a sonic flying carpet through a world of ethereal freeform grooviness I can't even (adequately) describe; you're just either into it or you're not, that's all I can tell you. Don't worry, it's not all breakneck riffs and runs. Tracks like From The Earth To The Moon has a sweet Chick Corea thing going on that breaks into a fuzzy bass stomp then into a haunting flute melody. There's some truly impressive dynamics going on with these cats, and I just can't get enough of it, and fans of old school fusion's audaciousness and musical innovation will surely pick up on this as the new generation of that great form.
The Bottom Line: More jazz than metal, Trioscapes is a power trio of the highest musical order. This is some of the best neo-fusion available today, period.
- Genghis so wishes he could play in a band like this...