Free Nelson Mandoomjazz

While at first glance this young Scottish formation is reminiscent of a typical jazz troika, its sound is far more evocative of a metal band. The name Free Nelson Mandoomjazz says it all: The power trio is committed to the fight against a conservative division of genres. The group is consequential in its description of a wholly surprising mixture of hard-core sound and delicate melodic interventions: they call it “Doomjazz”. Listeners must search in vain here for a classic division of functions between solo and accompaniment. Rebecca Sneddon’s alto sax burrows it way through heavyweight, slow mountains of groove with abandon – yet the band always remains centre stage. The trio explores a third way between free jazz and heavy metal, Black Sabbath and Albert Ayler. And en route, it finds material for a soundtrack to a current film noir.

FreeNelson Mandoomjazz @ RareNoise Records