The Aristocrats, an instrumental jazz fusion/ rock power trio of high profile musicians Guthrie Govan (guitar), Bryan Beller (bass) and Marco Minnemann (drums), released their sophomore studio album ‘Culture Clash’ on July 16 via BOING! music. Their self-titled debut received a tremendous amount of accolades and it proved to be irresistibly appealing to aficionados of guitar-driven instrumentals (think Satriani, Holdsworth) as well as receiving adoring appreciation from fans of modern technical metal (Animals As Leaders).
One of the reasons why the trio are highly praised is due to their virtuosic ability to craft a sound which is sourced from a panoply of different styles and yet they manage to keep everything cohesive and flowing. Their cited influences range from the classic fusion quirkiness of Frank Zappa, to the ingenious progressiveness of King Crimson, to the pulsating groove of Rage Against The Machine with nods to shimmering tones that could be reminiscent of The Police or even Pink Floyd. ‘Culture Clash’ abides, with honour, by this signature panoramic sound and technical flair which is, as initially reflected by the artwork, complimented by the band’s absurd humour.
The opening track ‘Dancing with the Aristocrats’ is introduced by a provocative drum beat which is soon accompanied by a tremolo-riddled bass line. Eventually Guthrie comes in with a staccato chord progression which soon drives into a melody that provides the core of the song. This track captures the dynamics between the three band members so well, with every lick, bass line and drum fill assuring to resolve beautifully back to the main melody. ‘Culture Clash’ features some peculiar time signature changes with a quirky, deceptive guitar progression that would make Frank Zappa proud. Tempo builds up with the New Orleans Rockabilly-influenced ‘Louisville Stomp’ which exemplifies the intensity and aggression of the band’s playing that has developed since their first album.
It is worth mentioning that Guthrie, Bryan and Marco all contributed to the song writing equally in which they composed three songs each, hence there being nine songs on the album. Bryan’s galloping bass playing instantly grabs our attention in the opening of ‘Ohhhh Noooo’ and the middle section of ‘Gaping Head Wound’ showcases a bass solo complimenting Guthrie’s ambient, jazz-esque chords. Gaping Head Wound is also a prime example of where you can hear a drastic change in styles throughout the song; it begins with a riff that would have excellently suited a Rage Against The Machine arrangement, but then it changes into a reggae/ ska passage. ‘Desert Tornado’ is the “heaviest” song on the album, and has a similar structure to Dancing with the Aristocrats, with a Minnemann drum solo opening, followed by a Beller bass-groove and a dissonant-sounding chord progression which could perhaps be an attempt to convey the danger of an actual approaching dust devil.
There is a strong emphasis in the lead guitar on ‘Cocktail Umbrellas’ which compliments the previous tracks which seemed to have a strong drum and bass presence. ‘Living The Dream’ crosses the border into Heavy Metal territory with some thunderous riffage, yet the track still retains the band’s signature bizarre style changes into Jazz and so on. The finale of the album, aptly entitled ‘And Finally’, encaptures some funky guitar playing infused with a soothing, calming resonance which one may appreciate greatly after the overall intensity of the album.
For most people jazz fusion is a very difficult genre to get a grasp of due to it being “busy” stylistically, and with The Aristocrat’s music in particular, which crosses into many different genre paradigms, it is almost impossible to define. Furthermore, this is what I love about The Aristocrats; their tendency to express absolute musical freedom and not feel obligated to conform to the standards of one particular genre. Their music will certainly not appeal to everyone but if you give the album more than one listen, the style changes and the overall absurdity will become familiar. It may then perhaps provide an enjoyable listen. The only notable weak point of the album, with the exception of a couple of songs, is the lack of a definite guitar melody which could be due to the equal songwriting contributions of all three members which leads to arrangements that simply sound like “jamming”. However for those who are passionate about virtuosity and the guitar, this superb album will certainly not be a disappointment.
