Cherub Weaponry: Flower of Dreaming

Sometimes the only thing to do is embrace the chaos, and Cherub Weaponry are the latest orchestrators of it.

Like a head charge into the maelstrom, Cherub Weaponry is the duo consisting of Canadian improv’ guitarist, Colin Alexander Fisher, and drummer Maxwell Patterson. On their debut LP, Flower of Dreaming, the pair pull their past endeavours into the present, emitting the the kind of noise akin to two comets colliding.

Over the years, both have operated deep across the experimental landscape. Fisher, having worked alongside Guelph, Ontario favourites, The Constantines, as well as Rhys Chatham, Anthony Braxton, Jaimie Branch, and many more; Maxwell, firmly entrenched in the noise-rock pantheon as part of the duo, Pet Retina, and also working under the I/O moniker, the drummer has also sent more percussive tremors through the world via the aptly titled Really Loud Free Jazz.

On Flower of Dreaming, the synergy between the two is electrifying. With most noise-rock-orientated acts, the clamour can sometimes feel one dimensional, however Fisher’s compositional background not only lifts these two long-form pieces off the floor, but also enhances Maxwell’s drumming architecture. While some will be quick to point towards Don Caballero, there are more inflections and nuances at play here.

Starting with Who Listens – a borderless, free-rock freak-out that turns the mind inside out. Maxwell’s percussion is Swiss army knife-like, and alongside Fisher’s pulsating fretwork, this pieces moves at frightening speed. Its sheer power and precision, landing in the same orbit as improv’ alumni, Chris Corsano and Greg Fox.

Following is Who Hears. Composition through the tall grass, as Maxwell’s fractured drumming is tempered by Fisher’s low-end drones and frenetic guitar plinking that oscillates between the cinema and a video game. An atmosphere that pivots been calm and chaos.

While built on the foundation of noise-rock, the pair’s explorations on Flower of Dreaming take them deep into the world of psychedelia. Patterson, a veteran of the former, but alongside Fisher whose experimental guitar style takes this project to far more interesting places, resulting in something rather cataclysmic.

Flower of Dreaming is out now via We, Here and Now! Purchase from Bandcamp.