Better known for his immersive live solo performances that defy genre, and releases titled ‘Fuck You Morrissey’ and ‘Fuck You Bono’ (just two of the records from his 75 strong back catalogue), Jay Gambit is prolific within the noise scene. However, it’s his trilogy of more metal inspired albums that have really made people stand up and take notice. The release of latest album ‘III’ has earned Crowhurst the much sought after accolade of not just one, but two performances at Roadburn Festival – one of which will be alongside Gnaw Their Tongues.
Crowhurst finalises their metal trilogy with “III”; co-written & performed by Andy Curtis-Brignell (Caïna) and recorded with legendary producer and engineer Kurt Ballou (Converge, Full Of Hell) at God City Studios in 2018, and is Crowhurst’s Prophecy Productions debut. The effort features guest appearances from Tony Wakeford (Sol Invictus, Crisis), Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man), and Tara Vanflower (Lycia, Type O Negative) amongst a handful of other notables.
At barely over 30 minutes long, the huge amount that Crowhurst has to convey across this record will take more than a few spins to digest – the raw black metal potency of ‘I Will Carry You to Hell’ rushes past so fast it’s almost like hitting a wall when you reach the brooding, neofolk sensibilities of ‘Self Portrait with Halo and Snake’. Each track that features a guest is overwhelmingly influenced by that respective musician, which makes ‘III’ an interesting listen. However, at times it can feel disjointed and before you’ve gotten a chance to get your bearings the album is over.
Individually, each song is brilliant – together, they don’t feel cohesive enough to form a full LP, so you’re left with a sense that something is missing. However, never an artist to conform to what’s expected, this could well be Jay’s M.O. for this album, in which case he has hit the nail squarely on the head.
(7/10 Angela Davey)
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