Omar Rodriguez Lopez: The Essential Album Guide

AMPUTECHTURE (2006)
Key Tracks: "Vermicide," "Viscera Eyes"
Quick Take: On Amputechture, Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez Lopez work in the intimidating, uncompromising tradition of mid-Seventies Yes and King Crimson: Three songs here exceed ten minutes and are crammed with quantum-physics-level time signatures, battle-to-the-death jousts between guitar and horns and Bixler-Zavala's hummingbird keening. The lovely ballad "Asilos Magdalena" is followed by "Viscera Eyes," where Rodriguez Lopez and guest guitarist (and Yes fanatic) John Frusciante melt their fret boards like Robert Fripp. In "Day of the Baphomets," a furious salvo of percussion interrupts a vicious, vintage jam that could have been on Larks' Tongues in Aspic.