MFTJMFTJ

MFTJ stands for Mankind’s Final Traffic Jam and some really out there prog.

MORE: OCEAN GROVE: A Slight Return To Earth // NORMA JEAN: In Service Of Rock And Roll REVIEWS: THE AMITY AFFLICTION: Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them // OCEAN GROVE: Flip Phone Fantasy // CODE ORANGE: Underneath // VIOLENT SOHO: Everything Is A-OK // AUGUST BURNS RED: Guardians  // THE CHATS: High Risk Behaviour // ALL TIME LOW: Wake Up, Sunshine

A duo made up of Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Joe Satriani, Devin Townsend) and Scott Schorr (Producer of Levin Minnemann Rudess, Levin Torn White, and Tony Levin’s Stick Man) these names might not look like prog metal royalty but more the ministers and viziers pulling the strings (pun intended) behind those thrones.

MFTJ is self-described as a “phat, debut album of instrumental prog soup flavoured with Art-Rock, Hip-Hop, Hard Rock and Psychedelia,” and well, it pretty much does what it says on the tin.

The depth and breadth of the ideas aside, the best part of this album is that nothing outstays its welcome.

Liquid and Fumes is an angular, off-kilter prog chowder, chewing up frets like Steve Vai or his protege, Devin Townsend would. They move with ease through swampy Primus style bass-driven rock (You’re Not the Boss of Me) 90s style trip-hop (Bitchy Hawk) and cool, laid-back funk (It Was Delicious.) Nothing about this ‘Jam sticks to any sort of script; you’ll be hearing industrial beating steel-against-steel in one track (That Crawling Sensation) and electronic meets acoustic all wrapped up in Johnson Figleaf. The only song that even hangs on to a thread of convention is Magnificent 17, a three-minute noodle about with bluesy riffs and liquid-smooth lead guitar. Prostate 911 is boggy, ‘down the bayou’ style prog that recalls some of Jerry Cantrell’s solo output mixed together with a G3 level of virtuosity (not to say Jerry’s a slouch, mind.)

The depth and breadth of the ideas aside, the best part of this album is that nothing outstays its welcome. The band pulls the rabbit out of their hat, collects the applause, and exits stage right. Contrast other prog metallers who expect everyone to marvel as they fixate on their navel for hours on end, the longest track on here is a shade under six minutes. For those well into prog metal spreads and conserves it’s a tasty jam; even if it is way out there.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Liquid and Fumes, Prostate 911, Johnson Figleaf
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Spastic Ink, Freak Kitchen, Boggy Depot