East West Blast Test - Popular Songs for Unpopular People

East West Blast Test is the fruit of a long-distance collaboration between underground thrash/experimental veterans Dave Witte and Chris Dodge. Taking in the giddy grind-pop of Mr Bungle and the angular, explosive thrash of Melt Banana, EWBT compress their innumerable influences and ideas into one surprisingly accessible and satisfying whole. Of course it helps that the numerous guests on the album are all great; Lydia Paweski's erotically-charged, wordless vocal contortions on Lithe helping that song to sound like the best piece of psycho-lounge music that Angelo Badalamenti never recorded. No track here is over three minutes long, and unlike many records of this type, the relentless barrage of sounds and ideas never becomes grating. This is a hell of an album – and one that shouldn't be overlooked.