Combat Astronomy - Symmetry Through Collapse (2017) Hi-Res

Representing a searing and overwhelmingly successful return to vocal music, Symmetry Through Collapse is Combat Astronomy's seventh ensemble album and by turns one of the most engaging and intense yet.

Dalila Kayros has a burgeoning career in the Italian avant garde and is also one quarter of blistering avant metal outfit SYK. She joins forces with a core team of Huggett, Archer and Fairclough in what is a seamless explosion of creative energies. Kayros is unique: perhaps comparisons can be drawn to Dimitri Stratos, Bjork, Diamonda Galas - but these do little to describe the tremendous palette of approaches and searing performances on this disc.

Already difficult to describe, Combat Astronomy have evolved once again and seem to be getting an even firmer grip on their quest for a transcendent ecstasy. This new alliance both stunning and entirely natural: blitz-doom riffs sitting alongside mutant space jazz and trance rock while Kayros weaves a new energy field across the sound fields; shamanic trans-dimensional invocations that are spine chilling, intoxicating, ambiguously menacing.

A more organic sound is present than previously as much of the material was recorded live in the studio. Kayros's Sardinian inflection cuts through Huggett's grind bass effortlessly. Huggett is in turn more exploratory on this outing - feeding off Faircloughs sophistication on the drums and Archers typically demented horn and keyboard assaults. Booth and Robinson play supporting roles on violin and treated guitar respectively.

Overall there is an eerie, spine chilling shamanic power present here. This is both future and past music: expansive, completely uncompromising.