Alto! – “Alto!” – [Raheem Records]

lombard   7/3/2013   12-inch, A Library

Portland, Oregon-based Alto! just released this limited edition vinyl version (300 copies) of their debut LP. Featuring two drummers (Kyle Emory and Steven T. Stone) and one guitarist (Derek Monypeny), Alto! gives us a nice slab of intensity with added percussion and electronics. The A-side begins with a buzzing rumble, introduces drums, gets cacophonous, and then goes back to a drum beat. It continues in a back-and-forth conversation and also references metal, jazz, and prog (it gets into a bit of a workout). The B-side has a janglier start, but also has a similar conversational feel between drum, percussion and guitar that provides a drone-like mantra. Eventually the listener finds herself hovering about it all in a spaceship, bound for parts unknown.