Short Reviews [Pakt - 2021 - "Pakt"]

When it comes to metal, there is no doubt that one of my favourite bands is Testament, whose live album ‘Dark Roots of Thrash’ is never far from my player. Why do I mention this when reviewing an album from jazz/fusion/avant/progressive label Moonjune Records? Because one of the members of this supergroup is none other than the mighty Alex Skolnick, and although he is best-known for his role in Testament and others, he has also been playing jazz in his own project for many years and originally studied under Joe Satriani. Here he is playing alongside bassist Percy Jones (Brand X, as well as extensive studio work with Brian Eno, Kate Bush, Suzanne Vega, David Sylvian), drummer Kenny Grohowski (John Zorn, Brand X, Imperial Triumphant, Kilter, Felix Pastorius & Hipster Assassins, John Medeski, Lonny Plaxico, Tony Levin, Beledo, Markus Reuter, and many others) and fellow guitarist Tim Motzer who has a long background in free improvisation as well, including the bands Bandit65 (with fellow guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel) and Orion Tango, plus many other recorded collaborations for his 1k Recordings label. This is an improvised release, recorded on August 15th, 2020, at the Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York. The participants were masked, and distanced as per health regulations, while there were few people there to witness the event, and the focus was very much on the music. In this setting, the ear is obviously drawn to the guitars, and marvels at the very different styles on offer. Skolnick relies far less on effects and tricks, more on the actual notes, while Motzer has always been about pushing boundaries as to what it is possible to get from a guitar and it is no surprise to see that Markus Reuter was involved in both the mixing and mastering, as he has a very similar approach. But underneath these guitarists are Grohowski and Jones, both of whom understand that while they are there to provide some foundation, they also have lead parts to play. What is interesting with both these musicians is they do not feel the need to be always involved, and sometimes their playing disappears as they feel the music is better suited without them at that point, coming back in to emphasise a certain direction. This is challenging stuff, and not something that many listeners will be able to understand and comprehend the first time of playing, so it does take work, and even then, there will be many who feel this is too extreme for their personal tastes. What I can say is that if you enjoy musicians to be pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable within improvised music, then this is very much for you. At more than 100 minutes in length, this is a fascinating piece of work.