I think this is the most eccentric metal album I've ever heard - and it is AWESOME. There are a lot of sudden style changes; each song has more variety than a typical entire album. They take a wide range of metal styles, add some fiddle/violin, piano, funky bass (and was that a saxophone I heard briefly?), season with grandiosity and absurdity, and whip it together with tight playing into something dense, heavy, and weird that brings a grin to my face.
As this outfit's name so appropriately suggests, you will not be expecting what you will actually hear from this album. Classical female vocals mix with guttaral growls and venomous shreiks to present a metal Cirque de Soleil. Further refusing to fit the traditional metal mold, the 9-string bass is prominent here, adding an almost Les Claypool insanity to the rhythms. Despite the featuring of the bass, the other musicians hold their own as well, and though Avant-Garde is the spirit, these guys know their metal well enough to draw on many of its traditional elements. If you thought it couldn't get any weirder than Arcturus, Diablo Swing Orchestra, or Sigh, then "In a Flesh Aquarium" is out to prove you wrong. I highly recommend the whole album, and a spot of something to take you out of your right mind.
