It took a long time before I really sat down and listened to Jazz. I started with Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Glenn Miller (yeah he’s more Swing, but “Take Five” is a powerhouse) and Ramsey Lewis. But then a funny thing happened in the 90s with the purchase of At Death’s Door 2 and I heard Cynic… my whole outlook on Jazz was changed with “Uboric Forms” from the amazing Focus album. Death Metal and Fusion Jazz: Death Jazz (if I may be so bold and create a genre out of my ass.) It helped that Disincarnate was on the same compilation with “The Stench of Paradise Burning” another Death Metal classic, and their only album, unfortunately.

My favorite part of being a Music Critic is discovering badass bands that I probably wouldn’t have heard. That’s where Sarmat come in with a sequel to The Dubious Disk EP called Upgrade and believe me, this little fucker slaps!

Beginning with the title track it comes blasting in, full-bore and on fire. For thirteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds we’re taken on a frenzied journey into sounds not of this earth. Around the eleven minutes mark it erupts into a Jazz fueled Death Metal monster, going hell for leather; while the maelstrom spins like a swarm of angry bees.

The amount of talent presented here is impressive. James Jones – Drums: Tracks 1 and 2, Steve Blanco (Imperial Triumphant) – Bass Guitar: Track 1, Keytar: Track 2, Zachary Blakeslee-Reid – Guitar: Track 1, Ryan Hale – Guitar: Track 2, Niko Hasapopoulos – Arm, Upright Bass: Track 2, Oskar Stenmark – Trumpet: Track 1, Jerome Burns – Trumpet: Track 2, Ilya Belko – Vocals : Track 1.

That’s an awesome display of musical power and it’s followed by the shorter, but no less deadly “Serum Visions” a seven minute and forty-four second cosmic Jazz workout. There’s blasting drums twisting riffs and trumpets from the bowels of Hell. Some screamed vocals come in and out intermittently.

Over the course of this review I went to Bandcamp and picked up the Dubious Disk EP and their second album Determined to Strike. It became glaringly obvious that I need more Sarmat in my life.

Upgrade was composed by James Jones, Zachary Blakeslee-Reid, Drummond Dominguez-Kincannon, Darell Maxwell. Lyrics by Darell Maxwell and James Jones. “Serum Visions” composed by Niko Hasapopoulos, James Jones, Ryan Hale. Produced by James Jones. Recorded by Tim Haggerty at Silverchord Studios. Additional engineering by Zachary-Blakeslee Reid, and Niko Hasapopoulos. Mixed and mastered by Colin Marston. Art Direction by James Jones. Photography and photo editing by Brandon Wisecarver at Solas Studio, NYC. Album Art Concept by James Jones. Visual design by Francesco Gemelli. The cover art is liminal and matches the music contained within perfectly.

This is a crushing album, Jazz melding with Brutal Death Metal and I highly recommend this for people who love Gorguts, Imperial Triumphant, Atheist and Defeated Sanity. Go get it and prepare to be leveled.

[Visit the band's website]

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