Mörglbl

Having toured with the like-minded Freak Kitchen and Liquid Tension Experiment, Gnô guitar wizard Christophe Godin returns with his mainstay band, Mörglbl, and their follow-up to 2009's Jazz for the Deaf. He effortlessly instils his metal/jazz/fusion amalgamation with Zappa-esque humour, and even though Mörglbl remain strictly instrumental, the lack of vocals isn't missed. Opener "Gnocchis on the Block" shows the band's signature comical side, though other tracks aren't merely spotlights for Godin's expert picking. "Fidel Gastro" is a poppier number, with drummer Aurélien Ouzoulias displaying his impressive range of polyrhythms and fills. Bassist Ivan Rougny pins down the doom-laden pace of "Oh P1 Can Not Be," and the superior "Wig of Change" sports mind-boggling King Crimson chordal progressions. The excellent "Le Surfer d'Argentine" leans towards a darker Rush, hinting at what their disappointing Clockwork Angels might've been, while "Golden Ribs" is a Joe Satriani-like workout with Sabbath-inspired bridges. With Mörglbl as his vehicle, Godin is quickly becoming France's Steve Vai.