Anacrusis - Manic Impressions

Tortured Soul Kenn Nardi and crew entered a Wisconsin Studio in the winter of 1991 to create one of the finest records ever. There are several big changes here, most noticable being the excellent, cold, mechanical production, and the addition of Chad Smith on drums, who couldn't misplace a beat if he tried. These two factors make this an incredibly tight, focused album, something that was lacking on the first two. The guitar tone is mostly treble, which allows Emery's bass to just cut right through, which is to the benefit of all who hear, as his performance just blows me away every time I listen. Another reference to Voivod, as both bands made the step to DDD on their cyber-releases (Nothingface). What else can I say, the first three notes of the album are indicative of what is contained within, an aural buzzsaw, unrelenting until the final hi-hat fade closes the album. Lyrically, incredibly depressive, as madness and life (usually the former resulting from the latter) are explored very personally, with Nardi's delivery brought up a notch on both ends, his clean vocals becoming more pronounced as are his shreiks. A guitar tech-fest, exchanging the hyper looseness of Reason for razor sharp riffage. I usually find that perfection is attained at the cost of emotion, but that's not the case here, as you just feel the pain contained within. A mathematical trip into an intricate mind, Manic Impressions is the culmination of 4 extraordinary musicians in the first half of their finest hour. If you ever see this, buy it, period.