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Keiji Haino & Sumac - American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous to Look At Face On (Thrill Jockey, 2018)

I haven't kept up with Sumac, the new gig of ex-Isis frontman Aaron Turner, but a collab with Keiji Haino? I'm down. These 5 tracks were recorded live in studio, improvisations as Haino typically stipulates of his collaborations, and we may have an early frontrunner for album title of the year. One of Haino's best. Turner steps aside to let Haino handle all vocals, which is kind of too bad because it would have been nice to see those two powerhouses play off each other. Sonically the most obvious comparison, Haino playing with a guitarist, drummer and bassist, is obviously his own Fushitsusha. The music, crumbling, crashing and chaotically heavy, is equally reminiscent of Japan avant rock titans Ruins or even Mick Barr's Orthrelm project (or maybe his Krallice band is a closer comparison). So it's not totally uncharted waters and not the most blinding original record in the Haino canon but if you like Haino with pure rock fury backing him, give a listen.

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