Instrumental rockers
Adebisi Shank's second album title might read like a descriptive slide from beneath a museum exhibit, but there's nothing sterile or backward-looking about their vibrant second album. Where the Irish trio's debut was short, sharp, and punchy, clocking in at just over 23 minutes, the second is rangier and more expansive and runs almost twice as long. The influence of Brooklyn math rockers
Battles is very strong, particularly in the stuttered synth percussion of opener "International Dreambeat," while there's a strong Japanese feel to the chord voicings of "Masa" and "Bones." "Masa" and "Genki Shank" offer the strongest links to the first album in their use of frenetically paced shred and pedal-fueled madness, though some of the album's stand-out moments are its most sedate, particularly mid-album chillout piece "(-_-)" -- named for a Japanese emoticon that roughly translates to "meh." In terms of sheer energy,
This Is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank could never have replicated its predecessor's giddy thrill, but in taking the necessary steps to evolve, they opened up an entirely new and exciting sonic palette. ~ Dave Donnelly