Bastro
Sing The Troubled Beast

For those who have no idea who the Bastro are, here's a little introduction: they were formed in 1988, primarily offering Math Rock; their first EP was produced by Steve Albini himself, and then they created two full-length albums ("Diablo Guapo", rawer and more Hardcore, and the one I'm presenting to you, more melodic and experimental); they ended their adventure in 1993, then some members went on to form the group Gast Del Sol, which also disbanded in 1998, a project that followed and expanded the experimental sounds left as a legacy.

"Sing The Troubled Beast" leaves the roughness of the previous album behind and moves forward to new experiences, new musical fields, and different instrumentation. It was released in 1991, a year before the formation of the pioneers of this mathematical and extremely rhythmic genre, Shellac, and the same year as Slint's masterpiece, "Spiderland".

All honor to Albini's creation and to Slint, but Bastro had nothing to envy from anyone.

Although they left relatively little behind, this album represents their overall maturity.

Making a genre like Math Rock varied and colorful is a decidedly daunting mission. Well, they managed it in their own small way.

Initially, the attack is relentless: the combo consisting of "Demons Begone" and "Krakow, Illinois" kicks off, with excellent vocals and fast, dissonant harmonies purely Math. A special praise goes to the guitar work and the drums for their monstrous technique; however, nothing shocking yet, we can say.

"I Come From A Long Line Of Shipbuilders" begins with an enigmatic spoken word part, then the spark falls on a dynamite fuse and the chaotic instrumentation starts, more inspired by Noise Rock than raw and rusty.

The surrounding atmosphere changes for a huge taste of what would later be defined as the first Post-Rock of the emotional "Tobacco In The Sink". What a performance, dear guys!

The following "Recidivist", "Floating Home", and "Jefferson-In-Drag" are the portrait of Post-Hardcore outbursts, with rapid rides and reflective, atonal moments.

Another twist, Bastro immerse themselves in a sensory deprivation tank and offer "The Sifter", a Musique Concrète painting.

They return to the paths of Math, offering another good performance with "Noise/Star", before starting new experiments: they revisit the track "Recidivist" with only piano and electric organ, proposing an eerie and off-key version, still navigating particularly Avantgarde shores.

After the release of the album, the group released a more instrumental live album, recorded on tour, but they would soon disband afterward.

It's an album not to be missed, they deserve to be acclaimed and have a review. A big thank you.