Brainstorm's debut offers an odd twist on jazz-rock, throwing in bits of Canterbury and
Frank Zappa, as well as the Dutch band
Supersister. The record starts off with the explosive energy of the instrumental "Das Schwein Trugt," a fast piece of complex prog-jazz. "Zwick Zwick" follows, beginning at an only slightly slower pace, with some wild flutes and clarinets over a choppy rhythm, and then halfway through the guitar, bass, and organ rip into the mix to add a furious energy to the piece. Though the album is mostly instrumental, a couple tracks offer quirky song structures, the very short "Watch Time Flow By" and a couple short sections in the long title track, while "Snakeskin Tango" has someone moaning in anguish and the middle section of "Bosco Biati Weiss Alles" contains strange wordless vocal drones. Through it all,
Brainstorm has crafted top-notch music that combines the manic energy and flippancy of rock with the loose fluidity and chops of jazz, with dynamic arrangements, a sense of humor, and excellent musicianship. The CD also includes five bonus tracks that are in a similar vein to the album cuts, though these can be found on the
From Fashion Pink to Brainstorm disc as well.