Review by JD on December 20, 2016.

I know pretty much squat about this band, Counter-World Experience. Sounds like some shit spat out by some political idiot on the campaign to win votes for his pile of shit. Let's hope it is better than what I am expecting at this point.

Calling their music jazz metal (jazz and metal do go together when done right), this trio seem to be the extreme end of instrumental progressiveness. They skirt the slim boundaries of metal, prog and shade it with jazz along with a plethora of talent and odd jazzy instruments to make it even more interesting. What you get is surprising, commanding, complex and overwhelming all in one fell swoop that is the album - Pulsar.

I was amazed at how accessible this album was for the most part, even for myself who has been a musician for three decades it is overly done in parts. I was shocked at how some of the jazz worked well in the heavy layering of metal even though on one of the tracks it seemed to backfire. Only thing wrong with this album was, it was over produced as hell – even though it needed to be in a way because the band is a three piece. I understand layering and over dubs to fill it out but the feel was basically produced out of it on so many levels, which made the feel of the album become bland and boring.

I was impressed with some of the music, but the few things I saw going wrong did impact my score. It is a good instrumental album, but not a great one by any stretch of the imagination. It sort of goes this way now and again… just how it works.

Rating: 8 out of 10