Eclectic Electric
Rating: A—
Noted philosopher David Lee Roth
once proclaimed, "excess is never enough." And what's
good for booze, broads and bacchanalian excess is good
for music.
Following that philosophy is Ron
Jarzombek, no stranger to 32nd-note arpeggios and
fretboard insanity. The WatchTower shred kid outdoes
himself with Blotted Science, the Texas tornado's latest
monstrosity. After stunning the world with Solitarily
Speaking of Theoretical Confinement (try saying that
three times!), Jarzombek injects new chemicals into
shred-metal's roiling bloodstream, and The
Machinations of Dementia is the result.
While easier on the tongue than
its Solitarily predecessor, it's also a heavier,
more metallic slab o' slams. And that's no accident, for
joining Dr. J is Alex Webster and Charlie Zeleny, the
former of Cannibal Corpse infamy and the latter of
Behold the Arctopus.
The duo keeps pace with
Jarzombek's hairpin compositions, a feat worth noting.
Now for the tunage:
"Synaptic Plasticity" sees the
trio in lockstep rhythm. Hard to believe these guys
recorded their tracks hundreds of miles from one
another, as they're tighter than tight. Zeleny's crash
cymbal slays. Hate to say it, but Bobby Jarzombek (Ron's
equally talented drummer brother) couldn't have done
better. But Webster's low rumble isn't high enough in
the mix. Why do bassists often the EQ shaft?
As for song titles — "Laser
Lobotomy," "Oscillation Cycles" and "Adenosine
Breakdown" — this is no Poison album. In fact, the liner
notes read like a medical textbook. Listeners wishing to
dispense with Jarzombek's version of Grey's Anatomy can
focus on the music, which overpowers, self-destructs and
rebuilds itself often in the same measure.
Elsewhere, "Activation Synthesis
Theory" features eerie, clean guitar tones to the left,
distorted response to the right, creating an interplay
not unlike the unseen woodland creatures populating the
cartoon soundtracks Jarzombek is known for. Within
seconds, the tranquil setting is invaded by a metal
assault. Sweep picking and all-out shredding thrust into
WatchTower-like rhythm before slowing to an almost doomy
sludge fest.
All in all, The Machinations of
Dementia tears music a new one. Its indulgences
offer no apologies, but plenty of blistering
musicianship. While Baskin-Robbins offers 31 flavors,
Jarzombek's madmen cram infinite variations into these
16 aural treats. Shred fanatics, enjoy your fix.
— A. Lee Grraham
