Review by Saxy S for Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (2003)

Kayo Dot is the brainchild of Toby Driver and Choirs of the Eye is the debut album from the group, released in 2003. I did not become familiar with the group until very recently with their 2019 album Blasphemy. And I was completely underwhelmed by what I heard. For one, the bass was non-existent, making the really long tracks on that album feel even longer, since they had no forward momentum.

Now I can say that when the band started out, they had less of that problem. But at the same time, they were very much out of the mainstream as this album is jarring as hell! There is a lot of dissonant tones and ideas that are recurrent throughout the album in which, if you are not prepared for them, can make for an uncomfortable experience. But I do believe that the band was able to pull off most of it pretty well.

For starters, when this album gets heavy, whether it be near the outro of "The Manifold Curiosity" or basically the entirety of the finale, "The Antique", Kayo Dot can throw down some impressive grooves and ideas, even if that might not be their end goal. The instrumental work is stellar on this record, the incorporation of horns and strings as melodic instruments creates a welcome change of pace, and the bands control of dynamics is impressive. And the production doesn't get in the way of the dynamic swells either; they feel natural and rewarding.

While I don't think that there is one particular "bad" song on the album, the second track, "A Pitch of Summer" does highlight most of this albums most perplexing moments, such as the use of extended pauses that constantly made me wonder if something was wrong with my playback device! Or the very minimal development of ideas. Granted, this happens less throughout the rest of the project because "A Pitch of Summer" is the shortest song, but it takes a painfully long time for "Marathon" to get started and it could have been trimmed down.

Am I in love with Choirs of the Eye? No. While the genre of "Avant-Garde" music is up to interpretation, there are plenty of ways in which the genre can be executed well. And Kayo Dot deliver one of the more unique heavy metal records you may ever hear. However, the reason it is called "Avant-Garde" is just that: it's vanguard. It's a plethora of different genres (not just metal) all mashed together into one. And you're enjoyment of this record will be if you can handle the madness.