Flak Planet is Combat Astronomy's fourth album as an ensemble. As ever, this outing sees the band stubbornly idiosyncratic, hypnotic and heavy. Combat Astronomy continue to achieve alchemical brilliance in their fusion of 70's influenced avant jazz and 21st century doom metal, producing something (yet again!) rather special and rather unique. The result is a sprawling, martial beast: kicking and screaming in its joyous fractal webs.
Huggett's overdriven double-tracked bass churns in complex cycling patterns of additive time signatures, locked with the intricate drums, never failing to conjure an incessant force wall of grinding poly-rhythmic groove. Danceable, yes, though probably for the disco at the end of time. The music asks you to submit to its ecstasy, uncompromising as it may be.
Martin Archer and his cohorts, Mike Ward and Mick Beck, cut through and soar over this super-sized grizzled rhythm section with a high energy brass and woodwind attack: often dissonant, but equally likely to erupt into surprisingly uplifting exultations that are bursting with questing exuberance. (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8508420)
1. The Stone Tape (6:34)
2. Flak Planet (7:15)
3. Zona (7:14)
4. Infinity Decay (6:16)
5. Inverted Universe Part 1 (4:01)
6. Inverted Universe Part 2 (7:28)
7. Inverted Universe Part 3 (1:04)
8. Inverted Universe Part 4 (6:47)
Martin Archer: Organ, electronics, zither, tambourine, sopranino, alto and baritone saxophone, Bb and bass clarinets, bass recorder
Mick Beck: Tenor saxophone, bassoon
James Huggett: Fretless five string bass
Mike Ward: Tenor saxophone, bass and concert flutes, reindeer horn, drone flute
Derek Saw: Trombone
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