MERIDIEM - FULL CATASTROPHE - 2009

Back in 1997, soulful singer and songwriter Percy Howard (Language of Dreams, Sway, Nus, The Hashisheen) invited Bill Laswell to work in a new project called Meridiem. Anchored by drummer Charles Hayward (This Heat, Mal Dean’s Amazing Band, Radar Favourites, Dolphin Logic, Quiet Sun, Camberwell Now, and more) and offering an experimental sound, Meridiem saw a successful debut release and a tour of the US west coast. Joining the band for their sophomore effort, released under Howard’s name, were Warr guitarist Trey Gunn (Sunday All Over the World, Sylvian/Fripp, King Crimson, Quodia, KTU, TU, Eddie Jobson’s Ultimate Zero project, UKZ, and more) and guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour, Yohimbe Brothers, Masque, and more). The next Meridiem release after that was Full Catastrophe, reviewed here.

Full Catastrophe features three studio tracks alongside seven live tracks. As there are just three studio tracks I will comment on each of them.

Opening track 187 is a heavy rocker featuring Howard’s voice emitting from the baritone end and almost coming off as a restrained Dio, along with growling guitar from Reid. Gunn goes for the low end of the Warr on this track, which segues into Shaft In Oslo. This track sees Gunn utilizing the higher end of the Warr, laying down some ambience over a funky groove from Reid and Hayward. The only other studio track, the Kraut-ish Poison Tear, again features Gunn playing the higher end of the Warr.

Then there’s the live stuff, which comes off as mostly improvised. An example is Sheol, a lengthy jam that showcases Gunn giving equal opportunity to both ends of the Warr. Howard’s distinctive vocals are evident on the Kraut-jazz of Lapis and on the noise jam of Release [Aria]. Reid shows off his guitar mastery on Shimmer, and on this track Gunn’s versatility is again evident in some sonic Warr odysseys north and south of the strings.

After Full Catastrophe, the all-studio A Pleasant Fiction was released in 2004. A vast roster of personnel too numerous to fully mention participated in its recording, with Gunn absent and Laswell returning. Some guest female vocalists are featured, like the simply named “Jarboe” who gives the track Carlotta a ghostly hue. The presence of the guest female vocalists on A Pleasant Fiction lends a Patti Smith commonality to things, like on the improvised-sounding Can I Get A Witness? References on this CD also lean to modern-era Syn, but with a little more caffeine in the Americano coffee house sound. We also get acoustic balladry in Melting, featuring the vocals of Happy Rhodes, and a bit of ambient jazz on the opening track.

Both Meridiem CDs feature colorfully, professionally designed CD booklets and cover art.

So we have two Meridiem releases with two different approaches. My favourite of the two is Full Catastrophe. If you dig improvised vocals or instrumentation, you might want to check this band out. If you seek something more mainstream, this isn’t it. My biggest suggestion for room for improvement, should Howard decide to revive Meridiem some day, is to handle his own singing. With all due respect to the talented guest singers on A Pleasant Fiction, Howard has an awesome singing voice.
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