The third go-around for Bay Area provocateurs Zmrzlina shows the quintet staking out some new territory. On Katastrophe, Vol. 3, the band's exploration of samples and digital effects lends the proceedings a moodier, more textured feel. Of course, experimenting with different sounds and styles is... [+] Expand

The third go-around for Bay Area provocateurs Zmrzlina shows the quintet staking out some new territory. On Katastrophe, Vol. 3, the band's exploration of samples and digital effects lends the proceedings a moodier, more textured feel. Of course, experimenting with different sounds and styles is nothing new for Zmrzlina. The precocious quintet's modus operandi centers around jarring shifts -- jerking you out of a groove just as soon as the band has worked you into it -- and Katastrophe, Vol. 3 follows very much in that vein. From the snarling Velvet Underground guitars of "Sutro Tower" to the bizarre country send-up of "Kentucky" and the shimmering (albeit tongue-in-cheek) pop confection of "Schoolgirls," Zmrzlina seems hell-bent on never sounding like the same band twice. What's so surprising, and gratifying, about this time out is that they don't succeed. A much smoother, more polished product than their previous output, Katastrophe, Vol. 3 maintains a remarkable cohesion throughout. The move toward a more ambient, atmospheric sound certainly helps in this regard. Mostly though, the members of Zmrzlina sound more sure of themselves -- as confident as they are ambitious -- and very much capable of combining the divergent strains here into one gratifying whole. ~ Martin Woodside, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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