Ettrick, a Brutal Improv/Free Death Duo (Free Sampler)

Ettrick is a self-described "acoustic grind duo" from San Francisco. They also describe themselves as a "Free Jazz/Black Metal assault" but they're definitely more Albert Ayler than Anaal Nathrakh, in fact besides their logo and song titles I don't see anything black metal about them really. The description holds some merit however, since this is one of the few bands that Free Jazz, Noise and open-minded Metal enthusiasts can all enjoy.


Jacob Felix Heule and Jay Korber each play both the saxophone and drums, and they rotate through every combination of the two in their music. They make a huge sound for only 2 guys and I'm always a fan of any duo that can make more noise than their small number should, which is an even harder feat for an acoustic band to do. Unlike Bellows the other "extreme acoustic" band I covered, Ettrick actually do remind me of The Flying Luttenbachers a little, so fans of the now defunct band should take note. On Ettrick's newer album "Feeder of Ravens" it tends to get a little sparse at times but they still manage to keep my attention with explosions of acoustic noise here and there. I personally prefer their debut "Infinite Horned Abomination" over Feeder. It's much more full and abrasive than their muted follow up (abrasive is a good thing in this instance.) The production on Ravens may have been the problem more than the material, I'm not sure what happened between albums but their debut is just overall a much better sounding recording in my opinion. I would really love to see these guys live since they seem like they would put on an amazing show, and live recordings just seem to make their material even more loud and harsh (again these are good things.) I suggest that anyone who gets the chance should see them perform, West Coast I'm talking to you!

If you think you’d be interested in improvisational Free Jazz with a thrash swing then you’ll enjoy what Ettrick have to offer. They have a bunch of songs for free download on their website, but in true Idol Threat tradition I put all of them in a zip file for you lazy bastards out there. Check out their site and cop some t-shirts to support. If you like what you hear you can also search for their hard-to-find CDs and Vinyl. For the curious that needs instant gratification you can listen to what I think is their best track "My Death Prefigures My Rebirth" from the American Grizzly Compilation (and lucky for you it's also one of the free songs.)



Download the Sampler here: Ettrick Song Sampler

Band’s Official Website: http://ettrick.org/

Band’s Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/ettrick