Boris & Ian Astbury – BXI EP

Having lent his bellowing pipes to everybody from UNKLE to Slash since ending his tenure at the helm of The Doors and reconvening The Cult in recent years, Ian Astbury keeps up the mercenary streak in this collaboration with Japanese drone mavericks, Boris. Reportedly drawn to the band since seeing them play Cult classic, Pink, Astbury joined them in Tokyo to howl over three engrossing tracks of grungy, dramatic sludge metal, just like mama used to make. The big highlight arrives when Astbury sits out a reinterpretation of his own song, Rain – from 1985’s Love – with the soft vocal of Boris guitarist Wata weaving in and out like an apparition at a séance. An exhilarating 20 minutes. [Dick Jones]