Grizzly Imploded — Anabasi

This is a very simple, but smart, cdr from sincope; presented with a folded card cover, adorned with abstract, ‘formal’ imagery. I use ‘formal’ in the sense of ‘concerned with form’ - the images are collaged papers, crumpled and layered. This gives a fitting clue to the sounds to be found within, which also explore the formal nuts and bolts of ‘rock music’, in a most abstract form. Grizzly Imploded are a drums/guitar/guitar trio from Italy, and ‘Anabasi’ was recorded several years ago.

Perhaps the very simplest way of introducing the album to you, is to say that the opening minutes remind the ear of The Dead C - albeit The Dead C recorded without any murk, cloud or dirt. There’s a similar, rigorous exploration of the ‘noises’ that can issue from an electric guitar, but with a similar residue/trace of the guitar’s more ‘traditional’ role remaining. Equally, Grizzly Imploded lurch somewhere between a shambolic stumble and a more studied, obtuse, free improv approach - so that hopefully gives you a reasonable sense of what they’re up to. ‘Anabasi’ amounts to six tracks and nearly thirty minutes - though, unless the individual pieces have been superbly edited and sequenced, I think the album is actually one long improvisation, divided into separate sections after the fact. The guitars are both distorted, though not ludicrously; for the most part, they sound overdriven through amps - although there is use of a crackling, synth-like sound (often associated with the Zvex Fuzz Factory pedal). So the trio have quite a restricted sound and palette, which ultimately works to their advantage: clicks and feedback, scrapes and drones; a few sections of ‘prepared strings’ and rhythmic stabs.

Its noticeable that I haven’t mentioned the drums much yet. ‘Anabasi’ is undoubtedly guitar-dominated, but this makes the role of the percussion more interesting. Gregoretti, the drummer, plays a quite superbly understated hand - never threatening to usurp the guitars or even really breaking much of a sweat. The drums (which are truly beautifully recorded) thus become the glue of the trio, and oddly occupy two roles which should be contrary: on the one hand, they ‘ride’ over the top of the guitars, on the other, they provide a stabilising anchor. They are both the icing on the Grizzly Imploded cake, and its foundation.

‘Anabasi’ is very solid, very measured, but - you can see where this is going - it doesn’t truly excite me. I think persons interested in that area of improv which maintains connections with ‘rock music’ (The Dead C remain the obvious example) would find much joy here, though. Its often a very ‘linear’ sound-world, with no deployment of cheap dynamics or trick; just a ‘heads down’ session of intelligent improvisation.

(Please note: your tired reviewer has just spotted that the sounds were recorded ‘between January 2011 and April 2012’ − meaning that the album is indeed superbly edited and sequenced individual tracks…)