Three Beats (Chicago Reader) by Philip Montoro

METAL | Rabid Rabbit levels up on a forthcoming full-length

Last week local doom band Rabid Rabbit finished mastering Czarny Sen ("Black Dream" in Polish), their second full-length and first since Arriver guitarist Dan Sullivan came aboard in fall 2009. He joins Arman Mabry (bass), Mike Tsoulos (drums), and front woman Andrea Jablonski (bass, vocals), who calls this Rabid Rabbit's "first 'mature' recording." The lineup has jelled so that everyone contributes to the writing process, she says. "A lot of it is practiced improv, if there is such a thing—we fell out of any specific genre."

Czarny Sen consists of four long cuts tracked and mixed with Sanford Parker at Engine over the past few months, plus the previously released 2009 recording "Suicide Song," with guest appearances by Bruce Lamont of Yakuza, Mark Solotroff of Bloodyminded, and two top-shelf improvisers—saxophonist Dave Rempis and percussionist Michael Zerang. Rempis is practically a regular member now, and plays what Jablonski describes as "Lost Boys-like sax" on "Raven."

She also calls Czarny Sen "the feel-bad record of the winter," and "Eclipse" shows why: it's like a reflection in dark, unquiet water, and Jablonski's incantatory Polish vocals help create an unease that crystallizes into refracted bolts of dissonant guitar. The album, which should come out around Halloween on Solotroff's Bloodlust! label, also includes a dirgelike, minor-key cover of "Land of the Glass Pinecones" by late-70s Boston band Human Sexual Response. Rabid Rabbit's next show is Wed 8/31 at 10 PM at Beauty Bar, with openers Alma Negra (who also open for Mr. Rudy Day at the Hideout Sat 8/13). It's free, and there's free pizza from Pie-Eyed. 

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