Ultralyd: Inertiadrome

Formed in 2004 by members of such noted Norwegian experimental ats as MoHa!, Noxagt and Crimewave Orchestra, Ultralyd returns with an ambitious new album that takes its math-minded sludge-jazz to a brand new level of loudness. The four epics that comprise Inertiadrome , the quartet’s first proper full-length on the Rune Grammofon imprint, sees the current lineup (reedist Kjetil Møster, guitarist Anders Hana, bassist Kjetil Brandsdal and drummer Morten J. Olsen) administering a more rhythmically driven, harder hitting sound. Forgoing the improvised individualism of previous work in favor of an interlocked groove that recalls doom metal-based Battles, Ultralyd brings its treated instrument Aylerian skronk to an entirely new dimension. This is the band’s strongest effort yet.