Reviews

Feral Cuts

Slutavverkning Levande Charader LP

Their Bandcamp description reads “Swedish anti-capitalist jazz-punk fury!,” which is pretty accurate. With playing that hovers between jazz-rock fusion and bass-heavy noise rock with exploratory sax and clarinet soloing, SLUTAVERKNING has a unique sound and vision, held together by the deranged screamed/sung vocals concerning a pig farmer. The album opens with rolling drums and skronky sax, setting up the expectation for exploratory noise-jazz à la JOHN ZORN, but becomes much more structured and even funky on tracks like “Psykisk terror” and “Om Natten.” “Längtans Törst” features a warm, beautiful sax solo, raging vocals, and even nonsensical BOREDOMS-style vocalizing before its end. Instrumental “Attika” is a churning exercise in tension with a looming clarinet hanging over distorted bass and drums like a smoky neo-noir scene. Seeing as punk and jazz have both been anti-corporate, revolutionary forces in their best forms, the melding of genres makes sense and works well here. Recommended for noise rockers and freaky jazz nerds alike.

Slutavverkning Skräp EP

I always do my best to go into reviews with an open heart and an open mind. Extreme music is a wide spectrum and I believe there’s room for any and all kinds of styles, although that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll like it. Per their Bandcamp, Sweden’s SLUTAVVERKNING  “explore the sweet spot between proletarian noise rock and unhinged acid jazz”, and while this sounds intriguing, it’s a swing and a miss for me. Initially, I was into the industrial rhythm section, but ultimately the vocals and woodwinds lost me.