Firepool Rec. 
Herd Of Instinct (US,2011)****
When the band 99 Names of God felt apart in 2007, guitarist Mark Cook and drummer Jason Spradlin started a new band with guitarist Mike Davison, which they first called Mirror People, then Herd Of Instinct. After four yours in the making they released this on Djam Karet’s new label. It includes a lot of guests. This includes Djam Karet’s guitarist Gayle Ellett, German guitarist and composer Markus Reuter, drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel), drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, XTC), Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet), drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), and Bob Fischer on flute. Mark Cook’s main instrument is the Warr guitar, but he plays a lot of other instruments too.
The strength of Herd Of Instinct lies in the built up group energy, which combines a lot of talents and visions with instrumentals of structural and a naturally built up architectural power. The first tracks build up more like symphonic progressive metal, then the complexity increases with improvised tension, and with interesting rhythmic changes and divisions. On the third track, “Road to Asheville” the mood suddenly changes to a more ethnic moody, atmospheric piece in the direction of some late Djam Karet, with flute, tablas and keyboard moods before returning to the heavier guitar and drums. This piece ends with acoustic guitar and strange radiophonic textures. Also “Hex” knows atmospheric parts described with guitar with echoing responses and strange keyboard atmospheres, before drum/guitars bring the track once more back to the heavier rhythm changes, to the electric guitars and to different structured arrangements. “Blood Sky” starts with a nice rhythmic tapping guitar theme. It is the only track with a pop-rocky edge by adding a vocalist here (Kris Swenson), who also used to be in the original 99 NOFG band. With additional electric guitar arrangements and mellotron this is an attractive mixture of progressive music with modern pop. “Anamnesis” reveals a modern drumming programming to the complex guitars/drums/keyboards arrangements, showing another and also successful direction. After two more progressive instrumental rock tracks with quieter moods and more relaxed rhythms, this rhythm and also keyboard programming returns in the tracks after that. In the last track programmed rhythms increased the rhythmic attraction and complexity, while the guitars still show its play of dialogues well. With a few more moody changes also acoustic guitar was added to this last track.
