Once you get past the initial too-clever-for-its-own-good impressions of Michigan's instrumental punctuation mark Qwestion — the band's debut CD is called Y (get it?) and it comes with a "Parental Advisory-Explicit Content" logo on it — you're in for a heavy-duty listen. "freeProv" reeks of Joe Satriani, thanks to John Hall's beefy guitar; "Chaos Theory" is a surprisingly structured piece of traditional heavy-metal riffage (at least in parts); the 12-minute "Forest of the Norm" comes off like old-school King's X; and "Muse" showcases Mike Griffith's creepy yet atmospheric bass playing, which segues into "3one2," a track featuring odd passages that vaguely recall King Crimson.
Apparently four years in the making because of extenuating circumstances that kept band members in different parts of the country, Y is the collaborative effort of Hall and Griffith — plus an unnamed percussion player and guest turntable master Jimmy Rad. The album covers lots of musical ground, and it'll be intriguing to see where (if anywhere) these guys go next. Repeat the Qwestion, please.