Short Reviews [Zlurad - 2019 - "Vo Blago Zlu"]

Now, I enjoy experimental improvised music as much (in fact, probably more) as the next person, but here we have an album which really does sound like a group of people who are thrown into a room and told to make a noise until they decide they have enough material for an album. While drummer Andrew Kim sound as if he would be happier in a grindcore act, and bassist Dmitry “Dimon” Kuzovlev (who also provides vocals) knows what he is doing, I am not sure the same can be said about Roman “Karandash” Karandaev (trumpet, vocals), Ivan “Vanish” Khvorostukhin (horn, congas, vocals) and Violetta Postnova (vocals). They sound as if they are in pain a lot of the time, so I wonder if they were listening to playback while performing, as that would make sense, as while I made my way through this a couple of times, I imagine a few seconds would be enough for most people. Possibly the idea is for it to be played as a torture device? Released in 2019, I do not think I will ever be playing this again. For those who think experimental avant-garde is too mainstream.