Recording of the Week, Cameron Graves - Seven

Released on Mack Avenue’s sub-label Artistry Music, American pianist Cameron Grave’s latest record is an absolutely rip-roaring tribute to 80s metal - with the man himself dubbing his new recording ‘thrash jazz’ - while also embracing some of the genre’s more modern developments. Graves is no stranger to the heavier side of music; in tandem with being well-studied in classical and jazz, he also has a history with metal that goes beyond a mere appreciation, having played guitar and keyboard for LA-based metal band Wicked Wisdom in the early 2000s. Growing up in Los Angeles, a hotbed for American metal if ever there was one, it would be difficult for it to not seep into his playing at least a little. Citing in particular American early 2000s acts like the groove pioneers Pantera, the theatrical and extreme Slipknot, funk-influenced rockers Living Colour as well as progressive Swedes Meshuggah, Graves has plenty of influences to pull from. Equally important to Graves are the likes of Weather Report and Return to Forever, with keyboardists Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock particularly having a profound impact on him at a young age.

Going in blind, Seven is one of the more surprising jazz releases of the year so far. The start of the track ‘Sacred Spheres’, for instance, kicks off the album with a Motӧrhead-style drum beat, probably the last thing I’d expect to hear on a jazz piano record. Graves goes all-out on the keys throughout this album, perhaps out of pure vigour or to emulate the sound of heavily distorted guitars. While we definitely heard him dabbling in these sounds on his last record, Planetary Prince, Graves wears his heavier influences very much on his sleeve this time around. The opening riff of ‘Sons of Creation’ features these muddy, dissonant piano chords accented by a distorted guitar before opening up into a melodic groove. Guitarist Colin Cook also gets a chance to flex his fusion chops on this record with a fiery solo in the mid section; while it certainly helps in the louder sections, Cook doesn’t crank his amp up too much, keeping it fairly smooth and more reminiscent of fusion than metal.

Another highlight comes in the form of ‘Red’, one of the more outwardly aggressive tracks on the record, with Cook again playing in unison with Graves - as well as adding a pinch of harmony on top - with the low-end power further backed up by bassist Max Gerl. The band alternates between this fullbore, metallic riff to more spacious and airy moments throughout the album, and full credit to drummer Mike Mitchell for handling both of these energies with equal mastery. Seven also features a handful of guest appearances from saxophonist Kamasi Washington, offering either a subtle lead line here and there - listen carefully to the opening riff on ‘Sacred Spheres’ - or leading the melody on tunes like ‘Paradise Trinity’.

Graves isn’t just shredding his heart out on Seven, though; the track ‘Fairytales’ offers a nice, short balladic interlude between the chaos, bookended by the aforementioned ‘Red’ and ‘Master Spirits’. The title track itself, too, showcases a comparatively traditional-sounding approach to modern jazz, as well as Graves’ melodic expertise with his instrument of choice. The closing track, ‘Eternal Paradise’ sees Graves making his recorded vocal debut, channelling his inner Bruce Dickinson - of Iron Maiden fame - for a triumphant closer.

Seven is pretty short and sweet as an album; many of the songs finish under the 3-minute mark, often due to the speedy nature of Graves’ compositions; perhaps it’s in the spirit of the immediacy of rock music. Though it may sound like it leaves the odd track feeling like it's finished just as it's started to pick up, given the absolute onslaught some of this music offers the listener, it ensures that Seven never overstays its welcome. Much like the 80s sounds it’s inspired by, much of the music on Seven requires tight precision, as well as demanding plenty of energy from its participants, and Graves and co. are more than up to the task. Graves is not the first jazz pianist to embrace his more metallic tendencies; last year’s record from Tigran Hamasyan showed shades of this, even featuring 8-string electric guitarist Tosin Abasi - of jazz-inspired progessive metal act Animals as Leaders - on one of the tracks. Nonetheless, it’s a trend I’ll be welcoming with open arms if it yields results as impressive as this.