Irata - Irata Arzgarth ( SuperAdmin ) 55,337 posts since 7/17/2002 Posted on 1/17/2010 at 2:07:57 PM Irata - Irata Review by John Pegoraro (StonerRock.com) Self Released Release date: 2009 When I compare North Carolina's Irata to Oregon's SubArachnoid Space, it's not just because the bands have sonic similarities. Lots of bands share the same DNA – hell, in the post-rock world alone, there's been so much inbreeding of sound it's like a hillbilly family reunion. But in this case, it's also that if Irata had released their masterful debut before SubArachnoid Space first popped up on the scene some fifteen-odd years ago, they'd be the benchmark for comparison. To me, that puts Irata in a league of its own. The three-piece is on the more technical side of instrumental psychedelic rock, but never so much that their musical prowess gets in the way of conveying warmth or losing an organic quality. Take “Baby's Breath,” for example. This track, with it's crisp bass playing and frequent crescendos, brings to mind post Undertow Tool, except Irata never comes across as cold and calculating, as if they're using a proven algorithm for rock. And that's just one of Irata's ten numbers – and not even the best of them (that would go to the beautifully titled “Clown Rehab,” with “Angel's Share” and “Drunken Dwarf” coming in second and third, respectively). What's even more impressive is the fact that the songs are so layered; guitarist Jason Duff is also credited with saxophone and Moog, and drummer/percussionist Jason Ward contributes electronics (while Jon Case is “just” the bassist, his lines are frequently at the forefront of the songs). All in all, this is an excellent release. Recommended. URL: http://www.myspace.com/iratalive Edited 0 Times I`m never going to work another day in my life     ( Post a Reply to This Thread ) ( Back to Album Reviews )