I remember seeing Editrix years ago at Mothland’s Distorsion Fest, and being completely blown away from their combination of prog, math, metal, jazz and generally experimental noise and madness. Just musicians too good at their instruments. Lead singer Wendy Eisenberg can not only hit insane, complicated vocal falsettos but also shred on the axe like no one’s business at the same time. While the sophomore album Editrix II: Editrix Goes To Hell saw them experimenting with more Finnish death metal, this latest one, The Big E, takes some of those metal skills and refines them to create a truly complex album that is still grooving and dancable. The only track I can’t really get behind is the opener and title track, which has Eisenberg singing the same notes as their guitar and creatign an uneasy frequency. I know this is deliberate, but my sensitive ears can’t take it more than once.
But I like the strange feel of “The Jackhammer,” with some insane, wonky math rock guitar and bass, the drum going absolutely insane, and Eisenberg getting as close they can to screaming, but maintaining an angsty heaviness. It reminds me of a darker form of Primus. Editrix has referenced Horses Lords, and King Crimson as influences, which makes total sense cause there are many Red moments scattered throughout The Big E—just listen to “Another World.” One other standout has ot be “Flesh Debt,” again math rocky but post rock and somehow, funky. The amount of genres Editrix bounces between is crazy, but it never comes off as cheap. The Big E is a rewarding if you’re ever in the mood for complex-sounding music.
