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In the realm where jam bands and electronica meet, Sound Tribe Sector 9 rules them all.
“Peaceblaster,” the eco-friendly California quintet’s fourth studio album, begins with the pulsating rhythms and plugged-in funk that inform its brand of instrumental rock. It’s a place where purposeful noodling meshes with instant-hook harmonies, jazz influences and unique instrumentation for an out-of-this-world sonic trip.
Opening the disc, “Peaceblaster ’68” heralds like a war cry before segueing into “Peaceblaster ’08,” a calmer, shorter take on the track. “Metameme” skittles about on a subdued drum-and-bass shuffle, while “The Spectacle” leans toward the industrial, with crunching crashes.
As its name implies, “The Fog” sounds spooky’ a vision of darkness continued on the epic, eight-minute “Empire,” snatches of which are just menacing enough to merit inclusion on a soundtrack of a Dario Argento suspenser. Finally, an uncharacteristic piano drives “Squishface,” a pretty number with an ugly name.
“?Rod Lott
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2008.