At
War With Self — Acts of God
Sluggo's Goon Music
www.sluggosgoonmusic.com
Rating: B
Talk about musical pedigree. With musicians from Gordion
Knot, Fates Warning and Attention Deficit, At War With Self
oozes talent.
But do top musicians equal great songs? Acts of God renders
that question moot, with aural explorations that broaden the
mind while tapping the foot.
Check out the title track, with Mark Zonder once again the
percussion machine known to Fates Warning, Slavior and
Warlord fans. How he balances multirhythms and changing
tempos defies explanation, as does Glenn Snelwar's
guitar-and-synthesizer mastery. Throw in Michael Manring's
legendary bass histrionics, and At War With Self mixes an
iconoclastic brew that should appeal to lovers of metal,
progressive rock and freeform jazz.
"Threads" slaps multiple sounds atop one another. From
compressed guitar solos to synth textures and start-stop
dynamics, the eclectic mix should appeal to everyone from
Robert Fripp fanatics to John Zorn freaks and Decoding
Society disciples. And more adventurous metal fans should
dig the Cynic-like rhythms underscoring most of these nine
tracks.
Love it or hate it, Acts of God offers no middle ground.
Stellar stuff for eclectic listeners.
— A. Lee Graham
