Review: Jay Matharu - These Clouds Are So Undisciplined!

Sometimes, metal guys want to play jazz fusion, and that is something that London-born and Uppsala-based guitarist and composer Jay Matharu does with his 2017 debut album “These Clouds Are So Undisciplined!” Featuring guest appearances from Andreas Bollden (trumpet), Ponch Satrio (guitar), Nili Brosh (guitar), Oscar Hansson (bass), Emil Ingmar (piano) and Kaffe Myers (drums), Mathary offer up striking, highly progressive metallic fusion music that never bores or ventures too far off into aimless territory. Highly complex yet flowing, “These Clouds Are So Undisciplined!” sees weaving guitar and bass melodies twisting and turning around each other, the drums following along every step of the way but keeping it all grounded. Opening “Ascent” is a perfect example of this, as arrangements just grab hold of you and take you on a mind altering journey. Nothing here is overly heavy, but there is just enough crunch in the guitar on some of the songs to keep this in the metal camp, yet when the band goes for some soaring, thought provoking melodies, as on “A Mother’s Love,” it’s classic jazz fusion/prog rock all the way.

“Illumination” features some fast, staccato riffing and blazing lead lines, and “Breathe In, Breathe Out” (featuring Nili Brosh) is as beautiful an instrumental track as you are going to hear, with lush, lilting guitar patterns. “The Battle Within” is an excellent way to close the album featuring deep, acrobatic, grooves and jaw dropping guitar and piano flights. If you like adventurous, classy instrumental metal fusion, “These Clouds Are So Undisciplined!” is a release you need to seek out immediately. But to make it easy, here is where you can get it. The album is available from Bandcamp here.