Finally�post-rock and avant-jazz meet drone and funk�and all four duke it out in a free-for-all on the corner of Broadway and Fifth in the wee hours. With two guitarists, a trumpeter and rhythm section all scoring heavy grooves into the proverbial blacktop, an unfurled canvas of distortion provides a menacing backdrop for the notably template-free goings-on. Say Tony Iommi had taken an accidental side-turn into fusion, and Jaco P in turn had checked out some rockier pastures�the dense sonic meshwork of Iron Kim Style could closely gauge such shoulda-woulda-coulda pastures.
The opener "Mean Streets Of Pyongyang" is no doubt be the best first impression this keyboardless fivesome can hook listeners with; this kind of edge and grit can quickly earn a band some respect. Compare it to the opening crawl and arachnoid dynamic of bassist Ryan Berg's approach on "Po' Breef," which ropes down that fusion feel while guitarists Dennis Rea and Thad Brophy texture-coat with a bevy of suspended chords. Trumpet pro Bill Jones ably competes with his cohorts for manglin' time on this improv-soaked platter. "Adrift" and "Amber Waves Of Migraine" are crafty pieces of Jon Durant/Djam Karet-styled ambient rock; Jones' heavily-reverbed trumpet deftly recalls parts of Vangelis' score for Blade Runner. Some of Rea's angular guitar bits, like those on "Don Quixotic," echo the precision lines of Japan's Heretic, but with these players busily chugging away, many sonic mirages are liable to pop up. This is an impressive debut for Iron Kim Style, and the title in-jokes are rather funny, particularly "Jack Out The Kims"!
Tracks:
1. Mean Streets Of Pyongyang (10:32)
2. Gibberish Falter (4:36)
3. Po' Breef (6:17)
4. Don Quixotic (7:37)
5. Adrift (7:44)
6. Amber Waves Of Migraine (5:37)
7. Pachinko Malice (5:10)
8. Dreams From Our Dear Leader (3:20)
9. Jack Out The Kims (2:34)
10. Slouchin' At The Savoy (2:24)