What would Primus sound like if they switched the guitar for a clarinet? The answer lies within Kruzensthern & Parohod’s Songs, their second release to date, which tops their debut album (2003’s The Craft of Primitive Klezmer) in terms of aggressiveness, most likely due to the skilled contribution by Israel’s sound-maestro Udi Koomran (Ahvak, Orphaned Land).

Kruzenshtern & Parohod takes the Jewish traditional Klezmer music to modern extremes by blending it with free jazz, hardcore rock and a healthy dose of humor to create a refreshing dish, consisted of extremely groovy and loosed rhythm section of ripped-apart bass and kickass drumming, and an instrumental use of hilarious, mostly improvised vocals.

Their hardcore leanings are charming, joyful and original, at times sounding like a parody on metal conventions, from the death metal drum bashes on "Joy" to nu-metal ala Slipknot or System of a Down on "Portrait of a Sitting Man in a Hat." But these are only partial ingredients of the casserole, which might seem a bit monotonous at first but soon reveals distinctive melodic hooks and unique characteristics that are there to stimulate the listener throughout.

With freakish, nearly impossible twists and turns, these instrumental pieces flow naturally from untamed Clarinet-led melodies, to swift avant-garde passages and to the aforementioned hardcore demonstration. Just check out "Shtetl," on which they perform, with a honking of a horn, surprising transitions from intense drum lashing to a lazy clarinet melody and vice versa.

Songs is all about nonstop action and cheerful insanity, merging roots with up-to-date beats, and resulting in one hell of a mind-blowing adventure you do not want to miss! (9.25/10)