Sharp Left Turn is a trio originally from Wisconsin, USA that offers Doom with Jazz and Heavy Fusion influences, with a particular lineup consisting of drum, bass and sax. The album “Brass Reactor” was released on January 20, 2022 and contains 11 medium length tracks with personal and original sounds. The album opens with “Invocation” a short introductory piece with a spoken vowel that accompanies us as we listen to the disc. “Echo Park” immediately immerses us in the particular sounds that the band offers, with deep and driving bass lines, a solid drumming and the sax free to develop intense textures both in the melodies and in the solo inserts. The alternation in the solo of both the winds and the bass with the drum to give body to the sound is interesting. An intro with more experimental sounds and enriched by effects opens “The Enigma” which develops with deep and overwhelming bass and solo incursions of the winds. A powerful track with dark atmospheres with the winds protagonists from beginning to end. Heavy, deep sounds with a rock hard and powerful slow moving rhythm session characterize “Doom Monger.” A track with markedly Doom features as the title suggests, which revisits the genre with the personal touch of the band, maintaining the characteristic features of the genre. “Leviathan” again traces the more classic Doom sounds, with a drumming that marks the progress of the track, leaving free space for the winds and the bass for a duet that lasts the whole song. A blend of Doom and Heavy Fusion “Speedbump” traits is enriched by a solo in the central part where bass and horns intertwine. In the finale we return to the initial theme for chiduere. “Dark Matter” features a bass intro to which winds and drumming are added, creating a dark atmosphere. Between hypnotic melodies and solo inserts the track develops with continuous intertwining between bass and winds. With a more pressing rhythm “Iceberg” is an energetic track with deep bass lines and a good work on the winds both in the melodies and in the solo parts. Heavy wind melodies and bass solisit inserts characterize “Powerchord” which features another energetic rhythm. A powerful track with dark features, with successful and engaging riffs. “Right On” follows the sounds of the previous track, with hypnotic riffs and an engaging rhythm. The Heavy Fusion traits are more pronounced here than the Doom ones, showing another facet of the band’s sound. The album ends with the longest track “Renegade” characterized by a prolonged intro on the winds, and then develops a markedly Doom sound. The rhythm session is solid and the Saxophone is at the center of the scene both in the hypnotic and enveloping riffs and in the solos, combining tradition with a touch of innovation typical of the band. A band that offers a sound with markedly personal and original features thanks to the presence of the Saxophone, always at the center of the scene. The drumming punctuates the rhythm well and the bass at times duets with the winds in the solos and with its lines it gives body to the tracks. A blend of traditional Doom revisited in a personal and modern key by the band, with forays into Heavy Fusion. A listening recommended for lovers of the most refined Doom sounds, respecting tradition but with a look to the future of the genre.
Tracklist
01. Invocation (00:45)
02. Echo Park (04:26)
03. The Enigma (03:51)
04. Doom Monger (02:58)
05. Leviathan (04:35)
06. Speedbump (03:23)
07. Dark Matter (03:48)
08. Iceberg (03:19)
09. Powerchord (02:16)
10. Right On (02:54)
11. Renegade (05:39)
Lineup
Art Maratos / Tenor, Baritone, and Bass Saxophones
Michael Bernstein / Basses, Spoken Word on Invocation
Lucas Lorbiecki / Drums and Percussion
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