SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DAVE LOMBARDO – RITES OF PERCUSSION

Dave Lombardo
Rites Of Percussion
Ipecac Recordings

An album that belies conventional expectations, or even structure, is usually reserved for artists favored within post-modern circles. In the case of Rites Of Percussion, we have an album crafted by an artist whose music has connected with thousands of fans throughout his career, Dave Lombardo. The most rudimentary concept is a “drum album,” although that hardly even makes a mark in the depths that he sets to plunge the listener into.

Rites Of Percussion is certainly not a traditional record, as a percussion-forward record wouldn’t be, but it is not exactly avant-garde either. Utilizing two drum sets, a grand piano, and a swath of instruments across a variety of cultures, Lombardo hones in on creating true soundscapes, things the listeners can visualize as they close their eyes and let their mind conjure up from the rhythms. Some are improvisational, but the thick, impending energy (at least to this listener) that they evoke is mesmerizing while at the same time unsettling.

“Initiatory Madness” envisions a looming threat on the horizon, “Separation From The Sacred” conjures an anxious chase, while tracks like “Interfearium” use an echoing chamber of brass to build a type of sonic purgatory.

An album like this is not easy to review, nor is it exactly easy to listen to. Depending on the listener and their mental space, they could come away with many different interpretations. However, to just sample a track like “Warpath” will showcase Lombardo’s skills and show listeners exactly what percussion can do with sound and where it can take you, which will likely not be the same place each time.

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