Exegesis
The Harmony of the Anomaly
(Dems Dem’s Demos)
So, let’s talk great drummers…
On Exegesis’ new 12-song LP, The Harmony of the Anomaly, we get to hear the percussion talents of the band’s drummer, Tomas Fujiwara, plus the fantastic percussion skills of Greg Gonzalez, Mark Guiliana, Robert Perkin, and Mark Ferber. Nick Demopoulos, band leader and guitarist (sometimes keyboardist), and Danton Boller bass (some keys) make-up this Brooklyn-based band.
“Aion†opens with perfect kinetic drumming from Fujiwara and Demopoulos’ guitar/keys thing running so fast and fun I feel we’re in ELP territory at times. “Chroma†features some simply beautiful acoustic bass from Boller and rock solid drumming from Robert Perkin. The first “Catastrophe†here (that’s the song title, not my opinion of the tune!) has some fun single note duet-ing from Boller and Demopoulos, but again features stupendous drumming (what might be the best on this whole album of great drumming) from Mark Ferber.
“Tempunaughts†and “Navarac†are great movers, with the latter sounding like a monster movie soundtrack, featuring a fat bass/drum groove from Greg Gonzalez’s drums and Doller on bass.
The noisy cat-like sirens Demopoulos manages on the last “Catastrophe/Revelation Part 3†of the three for me here, with stellar drums, this time from Mark Guiliana. I should also mention Gretchen Parlato’s float-y dulcet voice, especially effective on the pretty “Forgetting,†another tune with great drumming, this time from Fujiwara.
If you want to hear some great playing (and not just from the drummers, although, yes, the drummers here are fantastic) pick up Exegesis’ The Harmony of the Anomaly.
