Metzger, Paul – “Anamnestic Tincture” [Roaratorio]

Live solo Instrumental acoustic bastardized guitar and banjo from Minneapolis’ Paul Metzger (ex – TVBC). Riveting from the first notes, Metzger’s fingering is stark and offsetting – a satisfying discordance which is only compounded by the instruments – a modified banjo (on tracks 1&3) and a modified guitar (on track 2). There is a distinct Indian flavor to the banjo cuts as Metzger has strung and tuned the banjo to sound more like a sitar. Dark Green Water (track 2) is an even odder beast. Metzger has drilled out the body of his acoustic guitar and set a cymbal into its face, with varying metal strings laid over top. He gets a metallic sound which he augments with his own slapping percussion. Milo (track 1) builds nicely only to break down half way through into a confusion of ecstatically slapped percussion then, implausibly, rises again to attain new heights. (a different version of this same song also appeared as an untitled cut on the CD “Three Improvisations on Modified Banjo” in the KFJC library. On Roaratorio.