Trioscapes

Separate Realities

Jazz-fusion is a far cry from AP’s usual coverage, but when it involves a member of prog-metalcore masters Between The Buried And Me, well, anything goes. First, there was the amazing Thomas Giles solo album last year from BTBAM vocalist/keyboardist Tommy Rogers; now, bassist Dan Briggs tries his hand at a side project with Trioscapes, a way-out-there consortium involving Briggs and two other guys who like fapping to Robert Fripp and worship at the altar of all things Zappa. Featuring six instrumental jams, including the lengthy and definitely ambitious title track (run time: 11:27), Separate Realities is bound to be a John Zorn-like endurance test for pretty much anyone with functioning ears. Yes, we know there are dudes that sit around in their jam rooms creating this kind of whacked-out cacophony—Trioscapes are living proof—but it’s for distinct tastes only. When Briggs cranks up the distortion on his bass amp for some pretty impressive riff-runs, the result borders on metal (“Celestial Terrestrial Commuters” is the most Sabbathian track), but mostly it’s prog-jazz mania with relentless, wailing saxophones and off-kilter drum fills that would make most fans of Between The Buried And Me wonder what the fuck was put into their orange juice this morning.

Metal Blade http://www.metalblade.com

“Wazzlejazzlebof”