The second album from the progressive rock and jazz group douBt begins with “There Is A War Going On,” a spoken-word rant against the infamous One Percent. It’s a startlingly political—and distinctly American—opening statement by a band hailing from the United Kingdom.
The bass-less, instrumental power trio is all about being bold. Take its fiery interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” which segues into a nearly unrecognizable wall-of-sound jam. “No More Quarrel With The Devil” is as heavy as its title suggests, while the darkness thickens on the often-ambient, 12-minute title track, which is alternately somber and stimulating. Jazzy dissonance abounds and Alex Maguire’s piano helps “Mercury” raise the album’s jazz temperature even higher.
Recorded during two days eight months apart in 2011, Mercy, Pity, Peace & Love (the title inspired by William Blake) leaves little doubt about douBt’s musical nimbleness.
