Having overseen the Modern Containment series of releases on their Three Lobed Recordings label, it makes sense that
Bardo Pond would contribute an entry of their own, thus the release of
Adrop. Interestingly, it parallels their earlier 2006 release
Bardo Pond Presents: Sublimation in being more of a self-contained compilation of recordings done by different incarnations of the group rather than as specific separate group or solo projects. Divided into three parts but mastered as one long track, each section blending into the next, only the second part, "The Rebis," features the full five-person version of the band as it stands.
Isobel Sollenberger concentrates on violin this time around, while guitarists and brothers
John and
Michael Gibbons and the crack rhythm team of
Clint Takeda and
Ed Farnsworth create another powerful, looming crunch through their near patented brand of sludge rock. Opening the disc is "Invisible Fire," which consists of the Gibbons brothers,
Takeda and, interestingly, drummer
Jason Kourkonis instead of
Farnsworth. Perhaps even more perversely,
John Gibbons is credited as playing "cumbus," but whatever salacious associations are implied, the piece is a low-key and open-ended exploration of sound,
Kourkonis adding a variety of fills and hits here and there as drone guitar parts and buried noise squalls fill out the remainder of the mix. Concluding
Adrop is "Latona," featuring
Sollenberger on flute and, in a nice switch, the Gibbons brothers on acoustic guitars and percussion. It provides a gentle, calm end to an enjoyable disc; if not one of
Bardo's most essential releases it still shows the group in fine overall form.