Awakening of a Capital

Following on the strength of their provocative double EP, Shape of Doomjazz to Come/Saxophone Giganticus, the Scottish free jazz-meets-doom/stoner rock trio Nelson Mandoomjazz performs more crunching anthems on Awakening of a Capital. Fueled by the imposing fuzz-bass bass lines of Colin Stewart and the slamming backbeats of drummer Paul Archibald and featuring the scorching alto sax work of Rebecca Sneddon, this renegade power trio named jointly for the late South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela and the heavy-duty genre of improvised music known as 'doomjazz' strikes another blow for the freedom principle on their second RareNoise outing. From the mournful dirge "The Stars Unseen" to the dark, tempo-shifting "The Land of Heat and Greed, marked by Sneddon's squealing multiphonics over the top of a tribal groove, to the teeth-chattering intensity of "Poking the Bear," the formidable triumvirate from Edinburgh summons up thoughts of Slayer jamming with avant garde icon Albert Ayler or alto saxophonist John Zorn with bassist Bill Laswell and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. Elsewhere on Awakening of a Capitol, Sneddon turns in some freewheeling blowing in the altissimo range on "Slay the Light," skronks with impunity on the probing "The Pillars of Dagon," which features a string quartet, and wails on the maelstrom of "Erich Zann," a haunting piece named after an H.P. Lovecraft short story from 1922. In all, this second manifesto by Nelson Mandoomjazz is heavier than heavy, darker than dark, yet always retaining a deep sense of humour.