Lye By Mistake

On their sophomore album, St. Louis math-rock-maticians Lye by Mistake continue to operate heavy machinery at dizzying speeds. Named after the horse in the movie The Black Stallion, Fea Jur still draws from multiple subgenres, though former vocalist/keyboardist Tony Saputo has left the band. Unfettered by his spacey soundscapes, LBM advance with all metal guns blazing on "Big Red Button" and "Stag." The title cut is a bassist's dream, invoking every Billy Sheehan and Tony Levin tab in the book, and "Vanguard to Nowhere" is part Primus, à la Les Claypool, part Raymond Scott via Ren & Stimpy. "The Condition" gives room for guitarist Josh Bauman to wank his axe amidst Jonnie Pokket's bubbling bass tones, as if Rush's Alex Lifeson was soloing at 78 rpm. "Missouri Tomater" is a folksy acoustic number that dazzles in its Steve Howe-like simplicity, while the 11-minute "Money Eating Mary (Karaoke Remix)" includes Spanish guitar suites, grind madness and fusion flashes of brilliance that might leave Cynic fans panting for more. Fea Jur is a headspace-for-physicists record that only metal snobs would give numerous spins, but if anything, LBM's ZZ-Top rip-off T-shirts are totally worth a purchase.