New Age Doom featuring H.R. - Angels Against Angels (2026)

Angels Against Angels is another dub flavoured album from New Age Doom, this time teaming with Bad Brains singer H.R. And it's no less good than the awesome one they did with Lee Perry and Donny MacCaslin. But of course different. Again psych/jazz rock infused with a lot of dub, but this time with a rawer feel and a glorious punk assault in the middle of the album. And cool vocals by H.R.Truly addictive stuff. One of  my favourite album this year so far.

 

The BC page. 

 

Backengrillen - Backengrillen (2026)

I have mixed feelings about this one. Backengrillen has Dennis Lyxzén on vocals, two other ex-Refused members, Magnus Flagge on bass and David Sandström on drums and Mats Gustafsson on sax, and is released by Svart Records. So I had big expectations. It turns out I think it's a good album and I enjoy listening to it, but for the most part it sounds like doom metal with sax and Lyxzén singing, which is fine, but I expected something more exciting. Also, maybe it sounds a bit too much like long improvisations than songs, which it kinda is since the album has been done in three days. Anyway, the faster and more rocking, with a somewhat stoogian vibe, song in the middle of the album is great, and the songs all have some great sax playing, more melodic/lyrical than I expected from Gustafsson, but why not, when it's good it's good... 

The BC page.

 

Zopp - Dominion (2023)

Dominion has been released last year, but if you and/or your dad listened to prog rock classics like Yes or King Crimson, you will definitely feel at home listening to it. But it's not just 70' prog worship with vintage synth and a bit of sax, there are also more modern influences, and it also often reminds me of Porcupine Tree. It's the second album from Zopp (which is Ryan W Stevenson doing nearly everything, plus Andrea Moneta playing the drums and a few guest doing some vocals, sax, flute, etc.) and its main evolution from the first one is that it's not only instrumental any more. Recommended for anyone into prog rock, but also as a good way to discover it.

The Bandcamp page.

 

New Age Doom & Lee "Scratch" Perry - Lee "Scratch" Perry's Guide to the Universe (2021)

This collaboration is Lee "Scratch" Perry last album and testify that he experimented till the very end. New Age Doom is a (somewhat) "free drone rock" band (built around the core of Eric J. Breitenbach and Greg Valou) that had previously released two interesting albums. This time they were joined not only by Lee Perry but also by Donny MacCaslin, a leading figure of the new generation of forward-thinking sax players, Dahm Majuri Cipolla of MONO on drums and gong, and a few others. The result, Lee "Scratch" Perry's Guide to the Universe, is a nice piece of droning and psychedelic fusion jazz / dub mix. Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Oxbow - Loves Holiday (2023) & Oxbow & Peter Brötzmann - An Eternal Reminder Of Not Today (live at Moers) 2023

So there's not only one new good Oxbow album, but two. While the previous album, Thin Blak Duke, left no impression on me, I really enjoy Loves Holiday. But even better is their live collaboration with free jazz colossus Peter Brötzmann, called An Eternal Reminder Of Not Today, Oxbow's noise rock and the powerful yet lyrical free jazz of Peter Brötzmann turns out to be an excellent match and the album produced is excellent. Will be a memorable step in both discography. Recommended!

 

Love's Holiday on BC

  

An Eternal Reminder Of Not Today on BC

Faust - Punkt. (2022)

Punkt. has been released last year, but have been recorded fifty years ago. It was meant to follow the four album of the first era of krautrock pioneer's Faust. It's a nice reminder of why this band is so special, a good testimony of how they were noise before nearly everyone and in a way no-wave before punk even existed. And good at venturing into free jazz territory as well. Excellent album from a band like no others.

The Bandcamp page.

 

Imperial Triumphant - Spirit of Ecstasy (2022)

Let's start with what I feel is wrong in this new Imperial Triumphant album. The first two tracks (and they are long ones) are not especially memorable and could have been B sides tracks. fortunately the rest is better, even if I think Spirit of Ecstasy is not as good as were Vile Luxury and Alphaville. OK, that been said the black metal infused with free/jazz-rock (reminding John Zorn maybe even more than previously) of Imperial Triumphant is still among the best and most interesting music around and the best songs on Spirit of Ecstasy are enough to make the album totally worthy of your time. Even if Spirit of Ecstasy isn't the best Imperial Triumphant album, it's still an excellent one.

Their website

 

John Zorn - Chaos Magick (2021)

John Zorn has released a few excellent albums in 2021 and Chaos Magick, is one of them, featuring the Simulacrum ensemble (John Medeski playing organ, Kenny Grohowski playing drums and Matt Hollenberg playing guitar) joined by pianist Brian Marsella. Largely in a fusion jazz vein (think Miles Davis / In A Silent Way or Bitches Brew) but with a capacity of turning in an instant into something a lot heavier and sharper (Grohowski also plays in Imperial Triumphant and Hollenberg in Cleric). To say it is inspired and perfectly executed would be an understatement.

Chaos Magick on Tzadik website.

 

Bill Laswell - Against Empire (2020)

Bassist and producer Bill Laswell is always releasing a lot of music, so it's hard to keep up, but I'd say its best album in recent years is this one, Against Empire (released last year). What is sure is that it's excellent. The music is in a fusion jazz vein, but Bill Laswell style, with of course his trademark bass playing style and sound, and around him is an impressive crew of musicians, with no less than Herbie Hancock on the electric piano and Pharoah Sanders on sax (bringing a spiritual jazz feel), with also Peter Apfelbaum on sax, flute and keys and sharing the drumming duties : Jerry Marotta, Chad Smith, Hideo Yamaki, Satoyasu Shomura, and on percussions Adam Rudolph. Four long tracks with no dull moment. Recommended !

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Kurushimi - Chaos Remains (2021)

Chaos Remains, the third album from Kurushimi, (I reviewed their first one HERE) is another nice piece of instrumental saxophone driven free-jazz mixed with noise-rock and dub (John Zorn's Naked City being obviously their main influence). This time two long tracks among short ones, with more quiet moments alternating with more noisy ones. Good stuff.

 

The BC page.

Merzbow, Keiji Haino, Balazs Pandi - Become the discovered, not the discoverer (2019)

Become the discovered, not the discoverer, released last year, is the second album from the trio Merzbow, Keiji Haino, Balazs Pandi. It is completely improvised music and is closer to free jazz than to the harsh noise Merzbow is known for. This time his noise is more like a soundscape in the background, while Keiji Haino is playing his guitar (but don't expect riffs or melodies) and Pandi drumming. Sometimes it is heavy, but often it is more meditative, but always with a noise element provided by the guitar and machines. Good and interesting stuff. Note that a Merzbow, Mats Gustafsson, Balasz Pandi album is to be released this month, should be interesting as well.

 The BC page. 

 

Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville (2020)

 

On Alphaville like on their previous fantastic album Vile Luxury the black metal origin of Imperial Triumphant sounds very distant, but that's for the best since they're now a much more interesting beast. They're now closer to what their drummer Kenny Grohowski is doing when he's playing on one of John Zorn's album. There's also a strong dose of progressive rock in a king crimsonian vein (their more recent more abstract dissonant and darker albums), and the featuring of Meshuggah's drummer (percussions on one track) and Colin Marston sounds totally natural. The more abstract and dissonant works of Blut Aus Nord can come to mind as well. But, while it's evolving from release to release, the band really found a unique formula, so comparison's to other bands or only meant to give an idea of the global feel of the music. Compared to Vile Luxury there's less brass instruments parts and the overall feel is colder and more futuristic, less chaotic and violent. A different nuance but the same very high musical quality.

Their website

Sly & The Family Drone - Walk It Dry (2020)

Fantastic new album, called Walk It Dry from British noise / free jazz band Sly & The Family Drone. Their previous one Gentle Persuader was maybe a bit too, yes gentle, and too ambient to my taste but this one really succeed to grasp my attention and keep it, to the opening track, reminding Painkiller with the sax & drum with dub production thing, to some more repetitive, percussive & ritualistic tracks, to heavier ones as well, with a feel of mystery and daring freedom throughout. This is really the kind of album I hoped from them and I recommend you give it a try.

The BC page.

 

 

The Comet Is Coming - The Afterlife (EP 2019)

The Comet Is Coming is a London based trio with saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings (also in Sons of Kemet, Shabaka and the Ancestors, etc.), keyboardist Dan Leavers, and drummer Max Hallett. The Afterlife is an EP and a kind of sequel to their previous album Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (both released by the famous free jazz record label Impulse!). Their music is a shining mix of lyrical and melodic spiritual jazz, psychedelia and krautrock. There are some vocals on the excellent starting track with the featuring of Joshua Idehen, but otherwise it's completely instrumental. The band managed to recycle old elements into something sounding different and fresh and it's a very enjoyable listen that should please anyone into free/psychedelic music.

Their website

Glenn Branca - The Third Ascension (2019)

Sadly this one is a posthumous release since Glenn Branca died in 2018. The Third Ascension is a live recording and  a return to the 4-guitar, bass and drums format of his 1981 release The Ascension as well as 2010's The Ascension: The Sequel. The performance is by The Glenn Branca Ensemble at NYC's The Kitchen in 2016. This excellent album is a "no-wave" masterpiece of noise-rock / jazz-rock / post-metal (but Branca wrote that kind of msuic before metal even existed!)  that does not sound like a mix of different genres but truly show a very personal composing style free of any preconceived limitations. Oh, and this is also super heavy !
Highly recommended stuff that really makes me want to dig into Branca's discography.

The Bandcamp page.

Ozo - Saturn (2020)

When you're in the mood for some crazy hazy music Mike Vest is always here for you. Ozo is is more recent project, with a first album called Saturn, released with Riot Season Records. This sax, bass, guitar, drums quartet is probably his more "jazzy" band, with its spiritual/free jazz feel and sax/drums parts, but it's also still psych rock as well, and Saturn will sit in good place in the Mike Vest discography. Real cool trippy stuff.

The Bandcamp page. 

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel (2019)

Sonic Citadel, the seventh album (again with Thrill Jockey Records) from the drum/bass guitars duo Lightning Bolt is roughly in the same vein as the previous one Fantasy Empire, and that's fine because it's also very good. Their noise rock with a kind of free rock feel is as intense as usual, with the spectacular drumming,  the loud bass guitars and  screams, but also some good melodies and adventurous and inspired songwriting. Another very strong and enjoyable album.

The Bandcamp page.

The Flying Luttenbachers - Shattered Dimension (2019)

The Flying Luttenbachers is a band from New York formed around avant-garde drummer Weasel walter, with also saxophonist Matt Nelson (GRID, Elder Ones), bass guitarist Tim Dahl (Child Abuse, Lydia Lunch) and guitarist Brandon Seabrook. What they play could be described as no-wave/free-jazz/noisegrind or as chaos unleashed. Won't be for everybody but if you like the hardest of John Zorn music, or bands like Sissy Spacek or Sete Star Sept, then you probably will like it. Anyway it's really good so I recommend it, will you dare trying it?

The BC page.

Dead Neanderthals / Sly & The Family Drone - Molar Wrench (2017)

Dead Neanderthals on one hand and Sly & The Family Drone on the other are two excellent bands of experimenting noisefreaks that likes collaborating with other musicians, so it's no big surprise to hear them doing this album, called Molar Wrench, together. And in my opinion what they created is good beyond expectations. The reunited two bands forms a double drums / sax duo complemented with a guy from S&TFD adding more noise (effects). You could expect something going in all directions but in the end they makes a quite focused and condensed chaos. For the best results (something that could reminds both Peter Brotzmann and Aluk Todolo). The association of the screaming and thundering free jazz sax with the somewhat krautrock rhythm part in the first track is a good exemple of this and an exciting start for the album. The middle of the albums goes slower, heavier and noisier, and the last tracks end the album on a more quiet and subtle note. If you're into free / noise music this is an album you absolutely have to listen too. Heavily recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

Ex Eye - Ex Eye (2017)

Ex Eye is another exemple of a "supergroup" that is producing good results, with this first self-titled album (released by Relapse). The band is composed of the renowned forward-thinking saxophonist Colin Stetson (most known for his bass saxophone play), Greg Fox on drums (also in Liturgy, so yes there are some blast beats parts), Shazad Ismaily with synth (he also plays in Secret Chiefs 3) and Toby Sumerfield on guitar. Their music can't really fit in a genre category nor really sounds like some other bands. They produce some mysterious and quiet melodies wih a nice combination of the sax, synth and guitar, but they also bring some heavy grooves, especially with the good drumming, and the bass sax tones. Really good and interesting music.

The Bandcamp page.