Doom jazz may not be a very common subgenre of jazz, but Albatre exemplifies it well. The trio of Hugo Costa on alto sax & effects, Gonçalo Almeida on bass, keyboards & electronics, and Philipp Ernsting on drums & electronics manages to create - despite the limited line-up - a massive sound, with pumping heavy chords, changing slow rhythms and repetitive unison vamps. But despite the straightforward and almost predictable weight of the music, it changes the whole time, almost unexpectedly, taking the listener often by surprise, but without altering the intrinsic mood of despair, torment and agony. In a really interesting, rock-influenced way, they add complexities to a relatively simple basic structure, and it works well. A good example is "Dance Of A Dead Paradise", on which the tempo and the rhythm shift constantly, while keeping the maddening pace of the piece intact.
The whole album keeps the same unique violent sound, and I can only recommend that you put the volume high and prepare yourself for another great descent into the maelstrom, an unguided trip to a dark inferno. No prisoners taken, that's for sure, but you'll enjoy the ride ... or not.
Listen and download from Bandcamp.
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