Mono, Pelican

Even with his hearing at risk, Pete Townshend would still go to shows by AC/DC, claiming the rush of sound and volume was an aphrodisiac, loudness as an assault and a reward. Japan's Mono offers that same kind of visceral thrill with lengthy and thunderously loud instrumentals that touch on elements of free jazz and neoclassicism. Their latest album, You Are There, alternates the scenic and the unattractive with a flippant ease that suggests little difference between categorical opposites. Rarely, if ever, have violins, cellos and guitars coexisted so fitfully and been so violently expressive as they do and are within the music of Mono. Creating a truly unique hybrid of styles and cultures, Mono fashions a bridge between Hüsker Dü and Hayden, a glorious noise and a tribute to the exhilarating intensity of overload.