What is there to say about Flummox that hasn't been said
before? To begin with it's quite an understatement to say they are exceptional
musicians but it has to be said, nonetheless. And to say they still walk to
their own beat is an understatement if there ever was one. Any who, let's get
back on track. Having gone from being basically a duo on their debut,
'Phlummoxygen', to a trio on sophomore release, 'Selcouth', to a quintet on
this spanking brand new wax, they still retain their foundation, sound, made
from a concoction of Primus, Black Sabbath, vaudeville and good old quirkiness.
However, what is new this time around though? Well, by adding a second guitar player, Chase McCutcheon, as well as Parker Lampley on keyboards, vocals, flute and kazoo, allows the old stalwart knuckleheads Alyson Dellinger and Drew Jones, along with "new" drummer Alan Pfeifer (he's been in the band for a while, but this is his first album with them) a lot of room to move and experiment....and walk even further to their own beat. Because the crazy world they move within has been allowed much more genius presence.
5 tracks stand out for me. ‘Summer Cold’ is a fabulous mix
of Primus and King Crimson which pretty much sums up who Flummox are, if you
ask me. Trippy and completely out there. ‘Tom Walker Blues’ shows the band
being warped, fast, furious and fucked up. Primus rears its beautiful face
again playing jazzy old-school death metal. Didn’t expect that saxophone in ‘A
Bundle Of Styx’ but it works wonders. A cacophony of styles are interwoven –
Primus (yes, again), vaudeville, big band swing and metal – creating a melting
pot which is so brilliant in all its chaotic outlook. ‘Dysania’ is black/ death
metal mixed with a Devin Townsend approach while playing ‘Nothing Else
Matters’. Spazzed out, brutal and quite brilliant. ‘Black Philip’ starts out
like a speed-freak version of The Sweet’s ‘The Ballroom Blitz’ before turning
into a neck-breaking metal crusher!
‘Intellectual Hooliganism’ is not easy-listening, nor should it be. Flummox stick resolutely to whom they are and do exactly what they want to. Meaning, you will be exposed to chaos, albeit organized chaos along with a wonderful devil-may-care-attitude. And the rewards for the audience when you work your way around their quirkiness and nonconformist approach are plentiful, to say the least. For me as a listener and a fan, when a band you like push the boundaries, and you, with their creations so much is won. First of all, a band should write for themselves and themselves only, but if they do build up a fan-base along the way, challenge them and yourselves. That way your sphere never goes stale or stagnant, you constantly evolve and subsequently won’t get caught in the “what are our fans going to think”-web. And this is Flummox down to the tee. They simply roll the dice, put down whatever craziness goes through their heads on tape – yeah, I’m that old! – and what happens, happens and it’s mighty damned great, you hear?!
-Swedebeast
