When an album has you giggling before you even feed it into the CD player, you’re already halfway there. Titles like Gnocchis On The Block, Oh P1 Can Not Be and Wig Of Change bode well for the latest album from French guitarist Christophe Godin and his trio. Of course, the musical chops of virtuoso axeman Godin, bassist Ivan Rougny and drummer Aurelian Ouzoulias are no laughing matter.
The title track is typical of the album, alternating between melodic lines, catchy, downtuned metal riffs à la Pantera and some Fripp/Crimson-style oddness. Le Surfer d’Argentine is a warped rock tango with real dynamics and flare; the light, lyrical jazz of Fidel Gastro wears a cheesy grin on its face, which morphs inexorably into an insane one.
Influences come thick and fast: Zappa, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Primus maybe. It’s the gauche mixture that makes Mörglbl’s shred/jazz/fusion hybrid such fun, that and the fact that, for all the technical facility, the melodies and cheeky rhythmic baubles set them apart.
Brütal Römance may be slightly less eclectic than their last release, 2009’s Jazz For The Deaf, but it’s bigger, badder and even better to know.
