REZA ASKARI ROAR QUINTET - XAYB V8V DYAX (2LP)

Reza Askari's "xAYb v8v dYAx" is rooted in avant-garde jazz but draws its energy equally from metal and punk. Their influence is evident less on the surface than in the music's inner architecture: in its physical force, its abrupt shifts, and its structural rigor. Since the album features a purely acoustic lineup and eschews any form of sonic overwhelming, this lineage is not necessarily apparent upon a first listen. With the brilliant Lina Allemano on trumpet, the group expands into a quintet for the first time.