It took me long enough, but we've finally managed to get the entire available catalog of Borbetomagus releases on Agaric Records catalog in stock at the 'Blast. And for anyone looking for thee most brutal free jazz band on the planet, look no further: Borbetomagus, a Celtic word for "City Of Worms", three men locking saxophones and guitar noise together into a blast of monstrous improvised skree that takes the feeling behind the aggressive free playing of Ayler and Brotzmann and amplifies it into total fucking napalm. The core trio of sax players Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich and electric guitarist Donald Miller have been consistently bulldozing eardrums with their incendiary "snuff jazz" since the late 70's, and no one in the avant jazz/improv underground has ever come close to achieving the sheer cyclonic power of Borbetomagus. A host of their recording have been reissued recently, many with liner notes, and we've snagged everything that we could

from the guys so there's absolutely no excuse for any of you into brutal noise and improv to not fill out your Borbeto collection.

First released on cassette from Lowlife and long unavailable, this new reissue of Live In Allentown features the original 32 minute rampage that appeared on the tape and also includes an entire second set from that late October night in 1986. This live performance was captured during the group's brief quartet phase when bassist Adam Nodelman was a member, and the additional low end adds some serious crunchy heft to the two jams. Massive plumes of crimson sax screech and horrific low chords fill the room, the members of Borbetomagus wearing demonic Halloween masks, crunchy mangled guitar noise and snakey feedback lines slithering through loops of electronic noise and nonsensical shouting. Formless, on-the-spot violence. Completely brain-wasting; this set is so annihilating that it's taken a solid slot as my favorite Borbetomagus recording. This CD reissue has a punchy remastering that sets the band right in front of your face and squashes you flat, and the packaging

includes some terrific liner notes from avant-blast scribe Phil Freeman. Beyond recommended.