You may recall my review of Matthias Eklundh's Freak Kitchen (Land of the Freaks) a while back. Their expert blending of different genres into a metallic soup of virtuosity was mind-blowing. Well, thankfully, they aren't the only ones who have such inclinations. Case in point, Frankenstein Rooster and their sophomore release, The Nerdvrotic Sound's Escape.
The band was founded in 2008 by guitarist Raffaello "Rafahel" Indri (Elvenking, Harduo), who was later joined by drummer Camillo Colleluori (Hollow Haze), with their 2009 debut album receiving critical acclaim. Fans of this sort of thing - like myself - know the drill: this is a genre-bending guitar-based free-for-all that, because of its practitioners' level of musical acumen, keeps from becoming a convoluted mess. Instead you get a brilliant aural intersection of rock, funk, jazz, and good old heavy metal interspersed with enough pop culture soundbites to remind you these guys don't take themselves too seriously. If you dig the sound of that, this is your new jam, kids.
The Bottom Line: Fans of bands like Freak Kitchen, who crave this 21st century version of jazz fusion, should look into Frankenstein Rooster. It's a great way to unwind after, say, some extreme technical metal. Soup's on!
- Genghis really digs this kind of stuff...