If we had to make a list of the most prolific and multi-faceted artists of this decade, Bruce Lamont would certainly be on the top ten. Not only the Chicago-resident musician have been pushing the boundaries of extreme music with his inventive band Yakuza for the last ten years, he’s also member of the industrial project Circle of Animals and a Led Zeppelin’s cover group, plus he also collaborates with a number of artists like Minsk on a regular basis.“Feral Songs for the Epic Decline” is Bruce’s first solo effort and just to clarify a few things first, it’s not a metal record. It’s an ambitious and intricate piece of work that is partially shamanic, partially krautrock, partially industrial and overly experimental. Imagine tribal drums, moog synthesizers, reeds, acoustic guitars, ritual chanting, saxophones and a multitude of electronic effects all creating an atmosphere that invokes the spirits of artists like Can, Doors, Soft Machine and Cluster among others.
It’s a record that demands time and patience for the rather layered ambiences to sink in. This not music you could easily listen to at the comfort of your home, while sirens and cars are honking outside of the window. The shamanic nature of Lamont’s music is better suited for a wild ride thru the desert or better yet the soundtrack to some fevered hallucinations induced by the ingestion of illicit substances. (7/10)
David Alexandre
Band info: www.myspace.com/brucelamont
Label info: www.atalossrecordings.com
For fans of: Amon Duul, Can, Oxbow
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