DEATH & TAXE$ - THEENIGMATHATISMAN - 2001

Theenigmathatisman is the second release from this Los Angeles-based band and the musical maturity that they have acquired since their debut is remarkable. Whereas their debut was a very direct and in your face metal output, this second album is replete with experimentation and does justice to their own definition of the band, a progressive jazz metal fusion band.

The album opens with Becoming, a short track which acts as an intro to the second track on the album Question In Question. Becoming sees the band retaining that raw sound though immediately one senses that there is a looser feel to their music with room for improvisation. Questions In Question is an excellent opener to show what the band have matured into. The sound is still powerful, though even the production seems to have been varied from their last album. In fact a prominence is given to the bass and drums with the guitars not as far forward in the mix as one would expect from a heavy band. I remember hearing a similar sort of production on Onslaught's In Search Of Sanity album. The music retains that complexity with the drums constantly varying the beat, while the music flits from a raw harsh sound to a mellow placid feel. The duet between bass and guitar during the solo is exquisite.
What Can You make Of This? has a funkier direction, almost Living Colour in texture with collaboration from Bal on trumpet which gives the track that extra free jazzed up feel. With Words Of A Feather the band enter the space rock genre with a track that starts off with the guitars feeling airy and light, though with the progression of the track they subsequently pick up in strength and power. On this track show the band show their prowess and capability in producing high caliber progressive metal, something that is not very easy to achieve when the band is just a trio and without the use of keyboards.

Human Fly is a fusion between the previous two tracks as the beat and feel is decisively in a funk-metal vein though the guitar effects give the track that hippy spaced out feeling. The opus Instrumental With Words, running at close to eleven minutes, is one of the stand-out tracks on the album. The guitar effects create that sinister feeling to the whole of the music as the group show how they have attained their new-found musical style that has seen them progress from an almost speed metal output to a more polished and at the same time accessible musical format. Of course the odd reference to their previous style does surface occasionally, but this is blended in with complementary off beats and Shannon's mesmerising bass hooks that allow the guitar onslaught to fit neatly into place.

The title track The Enigma That Is Man opens with an acoustic element that contrasts sharply with the previous Instrumental with Words. More emphasis is placed on syncopation on this track as the rhythm is shifted continuously with awkward off-beats that break the mould of this track from being a straight forward commercial track into a complex progressive rocker. Bottomless Hippopotamus starts off as a slow stomper with a bluesy riff that eventually moves into a funkier direction to eventually become a furious sped up rocker of a tune. The chord playing and bass runs on this track by Tom Shannon is the highlight of the track.

The instrumental Frenetic Genetic Overdrive, as its name implies is a more sped up affair with the distortion cranked up to a maximum as the band return to their roots with a distinct sound that reminds me of groups such Testament. Mid-way the track slows down to a Black Sabbath/Type O Negative plodding sound, a proof that deep down the band still hold their musical roots close to heart! Diet Of Worms has the band retaining their heavy stance though the heavy nature of the music only comes across in fits interrupted by pleasant breaks while the closer After Words is an experimental instrumental track that features an array of effects coupled with interplay between guitar and bass. The now customary bonus track follows the same lines as After Words with the music assuming a free flowing almost improvised nature.

Overall this album shows that the band have made a vast musical improvement over their debut album and this definitely bodes well for the future. They have managed to move forward and create a sound that incorporates a degree of experimentalization together with a certain amount of funk without betraying their metallic roots. The band are gradually coming round to their own band definition which is that of a progressive jazz metal fusion outfit.

On a sadder note, the band are unfortunately in a state of limbo with the news that band leader Tom Shannon has been diagnosed with brain cancer and at the time of writing this review had just undergone surgery to remove the tumour and is undergoing a period of recovery. From all at Dutch Progressive Rock Pages we wish Tom Shannon a quick recovery and look forward to reviewing more of his work in the future.

Conclusion: 8 out of 10.
http://www.dprp.net