Infected Mushroom: Legend Of The Black Shawarma

Infected Mushroom. Can one even picture a genre of music when hearing such a name? Hailing from Israel, Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani, have caused a huge stir in the underground psytrance/electronic music scene. Known for their consistent evolution in sound through their albums, Infected Mushroom has now found a place where they have now perfected their own sound, and are just having fun.

Infected Mushroom has claimed this is their heaviest work to date and even impressed the producer of Legend Of The Black Shawarma, Paul Oakenfold. Loyal fans have expressed grief that the once psytrance duo has dipped their feet too far into the industrial water. But, while some songs are industrial influenced, this is still very much a trance album and the guitars only add an extra kick to the already unmatched sound. Unfortunately though the eclectic feel of Vicious Delicious and the second half of Converting Vegetarians is only present in flashes of production brilliance throughout the album.

The seventh album by these psytrance innovators, the album was originally intended to be a concept album with each song being named after a favourite restaurant the band had been to on tour over the years. The idea eventually gave way to just a collection of songs. The tracks Poqutio Mas and Sa'eed are the only tracks from this original concept as well as the album title, which came from a shawarma restaurant in Israel, which the duo dubbed legendary.

As a proud shawarma fan myself, I feel that would be the perfect way to describe this album, as a big, eclectic, spicy, fresh-off- the-grill shawarma with everything on it, and about five shots of vodka to follow. With eight out of 12 tracks at over five minutes long, it is quite the mouthful, and like every mouthful of shawarma, each song has something completely new to offer.

Known for their trance roots, Infected Mushroom is also known for their quantum leaps in experimentation from album to album, this one being no different. Fusing industrial, trance, electro, acoustic, and opera, psytrance has never been so intriguing as well as intellectually stimulating. Unfortunately with the high average track time it does become difficult to keep interest, as the average listener is used to three to four minute tracks, Project 100 clocks in at an ambitious 9:38.

As a musician, these songs teach a subtle lesson in minimal progression and standard electronic music arrangements. As a producer, some of these tracks are begging for a remix such as End Of The Road and Franks that carry such a slow booming progression and pulsing buildups, with minimal elements freeing a lot of room to work with.

The singles Smashing The Opponent (featuring Jonathon Davis of Korn) and Killing Time (featuring Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction) are arguably the least creative and experimental tracks of the album, as well as the shortest, with the intention of radio play. I won't criticize them for it though, as they leave their artistic integrity intact by keeping their signature sound.

I recommend this album for anyone who is always looking for something new, though this is very much an album outside the world of mainstream and definitely for someone with an acquired taste.