LST Pirates of Upsilon

Last Pirates of Upsilon is another dense display of tight musicianship and original, uncompromising musical ideas from these brainy L.A. post-prog rockers. Here, the band plows through the difficult, unevenly cyclic rhythms of brief, tightly composed workouts such as "Attention, Applause, Silence" with great intensity and precision, leaving little breathing room for anyone involved. Other tracks, such as the multi-sectional "Two Pin Connection," allow for more room to stretch out, juxtaposing noisy free-improv with moments of more structured interplay as well as some fully composed parts. Bringing together the more abstract, rhythmically dense aspects of '70s prog (such as King Crimson with a robotic, angular feel reminiscent of much late '70s/early '80s no-wave, Last Pirates... is both cerebral and physical at once. It's not easy listening, but those interested in "progressive rock" as an ideal rather than a time-locked style will want to check it out.