Mark Lore on Metal Noam

“The foreboding philosophical speeches of Noam Chomsky set to doomy riffs? Makes perfect sense. I could ask what took so long, but I’d rather dig into the debut EP from Portland trioAvram, who’ve done just that (the members actually got the green light from the man himself to use the samples). Thing is, simply because it sounds like a good idea doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to come through in the execution. But Metal Noam succeeds over the course of 13 minutes, mixing styles that create just the right tone, and leave the proper space for Chomsky’s musings without hamfistedly pummeling listeners. I think they might really care about what Chomsky has to say.Avram includes guitarist-keyboardist Amanda Machina, bassist Darryl Moton and drummer Nate Carson, who also splinters sticks in Portland doom unit Witch Mountain. Don’t expect any live performances (yet) from these three metallintellectuals, but you can download the songs for free at their Bandcamp. Or if you’re really feeling in the spirit of the project you can pay what you like, and the proceeds will go to charity. Mr. Chomsky would approve.”-Mark Lore