Mamaleek

Pushing the envelope and defying genre expectations seems to be the soup du jour for San Francisco two-piece Mamaleek.  At once, the duo's new LP, "Via Dolorosa," is snarling and ugly, a blast of noisy racket, guitar wails, clipping drum beats, and mic-in-a-room, black metal screaming.  And then things get more subdued, calmer waters even.  Piano melodies join the fray.  Electric tones dial back the ferocity.  And then the screams and din return, and then things get warbled and strange, and then it's suddenly all over and demanding you play it again.  This is great, boundary breaking stuff.  Listen to album opener "Nothing But Loss" below and get the record from The Flenser.