Code Orange

If Jimi Hendrix had faked his death and was later discovered in Nepal by some ethnomusicologist fronting a heavy, instrumental psych-rock combo, the tapes brought back as proof might sound something like this. Recorded live at various locations along their 2002 U.S. tour, Davis Redford Triad's Code Orange is lo-fi and gritty but highly effective as guitarist Steven Wray Lobdell (occasional member of Faust) summons wave after wave of feedback from his instrument, deftly balancing avant noise with old-fashioned classic rock wankery while never fully committing to either. Likewise the drumming teeters between psych-rock tribalism and ham-fisted pummeling, drawing the best from both schools. But this group's raison d'être is obviously as a showcase for Lobdell's cosmic guitar explorations, and despite their shear volume and noise, the textures he creates are varied enough to make this 46-minute dose breeze by. Assuredly not light listening, nor music to purely zone out to, Code Orange is nevertheless much more listenable than a good many Acid Mothers Temple releases.