Lunar Magus

"Lunar Magus" is a raucous culmination of compositions that span the range of heavy metal, Korean shamanism, West African drumming, techno, country, and Hasidic traditions. What may seem like sacrilege to some, this band of intensely inquisitive musicians takes as a challenge. A casual listen might induce an exclamation of "this sounds like a mix tape," but the mark of the band on each song is unmistakable. The dark vocal drone of "Prisoner of Light" is the flip side to the sunny western melody in "Aleatoric Chambers"; organic sounds mix comfortably with electronic as the album progresses. Founders Jerry Busher (Fugazi, Fidelity Jones) and Chuck Bettis (Meta-matics, Trance and Arcade) are now joined by Amy Domingues (Mary Timony, Threnody Ensemble, Telegraph Melts) on this fine release.