Caspar Brötzmann's reputation is double-edged with whispered comments labeling him a recluse, a genius or both. Although his deft guitar work has been sought by many, including Helmet's Page Hamilton, industrial innovator FM Einheit and his father, the legendary jazzman Peter Brötzmann, it was Caspar's own efforts with Massaker which solidified his place in the guitar god mythology. While earlier work with that band sought to deconstruct the sound one could make with six strings, this new solo effort returns to a more traditional style of playing. Do not take that to mean that you should expect the music here to be pedestrian. On the contrary, Brötzmann (now accompanied by Robert Dammig on drums and Ottmar Seum on bass) is as transcendent as ever. The title track, which opens the album, begins with a soft feedback hum, which Brötzmann uses as a foundation for gentle plucks that gradually build into a screeching howl that pours forth the same naked perfection Hendrix invented. Slowly, gently, the bass and drums make themselves known with a subliminal patter running beneath this guitar ecstasy. Once the music reaches its climax, it exits much as it began, ending the ten-minute odyssey with a soothing hum.
The other tracks also brim with such adventurous playing. "Cheyenne" displays the fireworks of which Brötzmann is capable with arpeggios, trills and runs that will make any guitar enthusiast shake his head in amazement. "Indians" finds Brötzmann in a calmer mood, his chorused guitar gliding over the piece's movements rather than racing about the room. "Rain" begins with a similar, calming feel before building into an impenetrable fortress of sound. Throughout the album, the focus is clearly on the guitar, with the bass and drums relegated to supporting roles. The one exception is the second half of "Woodstock Hymne", in which Seum's bass is crucial to maintaining the song's melodic theme, which resolves with a perfect note after nearly twelve minutes.
This focus on one instrument may leave some listeners cold. This is a guitar record in the vein of Trey Gunn and Steve Vai, so if you do not enjoy listening to the wealth of sounds this instrument is capable of producing, Mute Massaker will probably leave you bored. On the other hand, if you have ever aspired to guitar wizardry yourself, this disc will leave you mute with amazement.
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