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The saga that began in 1989 by Jarzombek with "Control And Resistance" by the Texan band Watchtower continues. Through Spastic Ink and some solo albums, we arrive today with this "Machinations Of Dementia" under the name Blotted Science, a supergroup led by Jarzombek alongside Alex Webster (bass) and Charlie Zeleny (drums) offering us a Prog-metal or better yet, a Techno-metal with exquisite craftsmanship, truly a lifeline for me.
Techno-metal is a genre that meticulously attends to the complexity of the songs, making the musicians' work very challenging for the listener, at least during the initial listens. This work, in fact, requires many attentive and repeated listens to be fully absorbed or at least understood. The album (as I like to call it) in question, perfectly reflects what was previously stated, except that unlike other works that belong to the genre (or non-genre) such as "A Sceptic's Universe" by Spiral Architect and Jarzombek’s own productions, this sonic mass of shapeless matter is set both broadly and narrowly on hyper-technical structures, but of the Techno-death school and characterized here and there by rhythmic structures that vaguely recall Meshuggah or even the obscure Kobong, all splendidly interpreted in a personal key, thus not deviating from the canons of the genre.
An extremely intricate guitar work and a rhythmic section as powerful as it is dynamic complete the picture, definable as one of the best "metal paintings" of the year. The production, allowing the listener to follow all the instruments, can be considered very good; it’s a pity for the bass that, in my humble opinion, is not heard properly, but this is just a minor remark.
In conclusion, kudos to Ron for interpreting this genre in a new way and a very warm invitation not to ignore this work (despite its toughness) as its stature is so high.
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