minus - dark lit

On their long-awaited new album, Dark Lit, local power trio Minus does much to negate the assertion that the classic rock of the '60s, '70s and '80s left the guitar without further avenues of exploration."

"Mark France coaxes tones both subtle and overt out of his customized Frankenstein of a guitar. He demonstrates in the process how much of the rock canon has been excluded over the years by rejecting the influences that progressive rock, fusion and the avant-garde sought to incorporate"

This is music all-consuming in its beauty and power, and not to be missed either as studio product or live shenanigens.

Hailing from the small Oregon based label New & Improv, Minus is an improvisational "power trio" with something of a dark, menacing style. Those familiar with Bozzio Levin Stevens or Attention Deficit wouldn't be surprised with what they find here. Dark Lit is noisy guitar/bass/drums improv rock, occasionally augmented with some synths, loops, and a little turntable work from label mate DJ Scratch 'n Sniff.

The use of programmed loops and other electronics adds a small extra dimension to Minus' sound, separating them from some of their improv rock colleagues. Don't expect electronica, however, as this is still first and foremost guitar-led rock - just with a sprinkle of dub.

Technically, they might not be as crisp as a Bozzio Levin Stevens, but they display maturity and avoid falling into the "let's turbo-jam!" pit trap of other projects like this. They occasionally get a bit jerky and spastic, and sometimes get locked into one riff for a bit too long. Fortunately, this is the exception rather than the rule.

"Acidflesh", easily the highlight of the album, demonstrates the strength of the band: the guitar and drums run circles around a steady looped melody and synth moans.

Minus are intriguing and entertaining improv rock. There really isn't anything that's completely mind-blowing, but Dark Lit has enough high points to recommend to fans of the style.

darkly lit