Metal Underground.com

There's plenty of technical skill on display on Slumlord Philadelphia's "1347 AD." The problem, quite frankly, is that this progressive metal band has progressed just a bit too far from conventional song structure, resulting an an album with too many twists and turns to ever allow the listener to truly acclimate to what's going on.

Giving credit where credit's due, one has to compliment the band's instrumental chops. Bassist Kevin Radar Cunningham delivers a particularly potent part to "Tex Cobb," with chords that are more Les Claypool than Lemmy. The lyrics, consisting mostly of snippets from interviews with the famous fighter, are among the most clever on the album.

When the band allows a groove room to grow — as it does in "Cara Quamada" — the results can be impressive. More often than not, though, the band is changing directions on a dime, as it does on tracks like "OP:MF" and "This Is The Life," with Ryan Kozar's drums providing more confusion than bedrock rhythm. That may be intentional, but when it happens on song after song, the cumulative effect is more one of confusion than of admiration for the skill it takes to do so.

All that said, the cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" proves that the band is quite capable of rocking out a more straightforward tune. A little more of that would've gone a long way toward making this album a more listenable experience.

The production values on the disc are so-so, with the drums feeling quite a bit tinny and Kermit Lyman's guitar parts sometimes disappearing behind a wall of bass and drums.

Prog-rock fans may enjoy the many twists and turns of Slumlord Philadelphia's "1347 AD." Those looking for a less experimental experience might want to look elsewhere.