Metallic Taste of Blood – Metallic Taste of Blood

Metallic Taste of Blood are a multicultural collective of semi-familiar faces whose eponymous debut curiously fuses together elements of prog, dub, math-rock and avant-jazz. Guitarist Eraldo Bernocchi (Somma, Ashes) strikes a balance between eerie psych-licks and full-on buzzsaw assaults, though the tension is nicely balanced by Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree's throbby basslines, Jamie Saft of New Zion Trio's fluttery piano strikes and breakcore aficionado Balazs Pandi's light, jazzy drumming.

 

Such an eclectic mix of musicians so well-versed in their distinctive fields could have made for messy results, but the reality is that the whole thing tends to blur together tastefully – worryingly so – save for the aggressive riffing on the suitably titled Bipolar, or the startling appearance of a psychedelic reggae-groove on King Cockroach. Moments like these are sometimes miscalculated, but they at least serve to draw attention away from the rest of the record's vapid tediousness.