Secret Chiefs 3 Albums (6)
'Traditionalists: Le Mani DeStre Recise DeGli Ultimi Uomini'
Release Date 6/9/2009
Tracks 30
Label Web of Mimicry
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Xaphan: The Book of Angels, Vol. 9'
Release Date 10/23/2007
Tracks 11
Label Tzadik
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Eyes of Flesh, Eyes of Flame'
Release Date 6/12/2007
Tracks 7
Label Mimicry
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What The Critics Say
Secret Chiefs 3's first three studio albums were not exactly stripped-down affairs, but Book of Horizons is by far an ambitious release. The first volume of a planned three-part series of albums, Horizons is set up to resemble a compilation of bands, the catch being that all of these bands are headed by SC3 leader Trey Spruance. The six bands, which have two or three songs each on this album, encompass pretty much the full range of SC3's previous stylistic forays, including the funeral ballads and marches of the Forms; the orchestral, Persian-themed rock hybrids of Ishraqiyun; the time-traveling surf-rock of UR; the electro-acoustic collages of Electromagnetic Azoth; the extreme death metal band Holy Vehm; and the sweeping film music homages of Traditionalists. These "bands" are not physically separate entities so much as they are distinct concepts, since musicians overlap from one band to the next, and can change from song to song within each band. In any case, this separation of SC3's many diverse elements into distinct bands has led to more extreme song-to-song contrasts than on any earlier SC3 release. The two Holy Vehm songs are heavier than anything Spruance has ever released, while the more linear, melodic numbers (Traditionalists' Morricone-esque "The Exile," the Forms' "The End Times," UR's surf-tinged cover of the Exodus theme) rank as his most lavishly orchestrated productions. In between these extremes lies the Devo-esque surf-rock of UR's "Anthropomorphosis: Boxleitner" (a worthy sequel to "White As They Come" from First Grand Constitution and Bylaws), the reverb-drenched Afghani folk-metal of Ishraqiyun's "The 3," and Forms' stunning closer "Welcome to the Theatron Animatrique" -- which sounds like the sort of orchestral film music that should be coming out of Hollywood circa 2004. Remarkably, given the huge orchestrations on so many of the tracks, there are only two samples on the entire record; all of the string sections, choirs, and such were the result of marathon overdub sessions à la Mr. Bungle's California. Even so, the album doesn't sound like it was labored over or artificially assembled, with the exception of the intentionally cut-and-pasted tracks by Electromagnetic Azoth and a few of the harsher edits on Holy Vehm's "Hypostasis of the Archon." And unlike Book M, which felt stiff and mechanical in spots, and California, which occasionally lacked the songwriting material to match the lavish production, Horizons comes through with soulful performances and top-shelf material on nearly every track (Ishraqiyun's "The Four" doesn't quite get off the ground like the other songs). The jarring juxtapositions between a few of the songs here disrupt the flow of the album here and there, a side effect of the compilation approach. Minor quibbles aside, this is a frequently jaw-dropping album that should silence Spruance's anti-Bungle critics and, more importantly, challenge and entertain devoted fans of his past work. ~ William York, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A third installment in the series of Secret Chiefs 3 records, known by many as Mr. Bungle minus Mike Patton. Once again, the band proves that they command an amazing grip on their musical reigns, executing flawlessly tight arrangements, even if they are extremely peculiar. Book M is mostly the brainchild of masterful guitarist Trey Spruance, as bassist Trevor Dunn was absent for a great deal of the project, probably having something to do with his involvement in the wickedly genius Fantomas. Book M is mostly made up of Indian/Asian-sounding melodies overlayed with wildly cavorting techno rhythms and a tiny bit of metal, infused with a sense of mystery and paranoia from the thematic artwork based on number theory and assumedly Hindu belief systems. The production and musicianship here is top-notch; the question is: Just how many people are interested in listening to a skewed version of Indo-Pak music? ~ Blake Butler, All Music Guide
'First Grand Constitution and Bylaws'
Release Date 9/30/1996
Tracks 20
Label Amarillo
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What The Critics Say
Fans of Mr. Bungle, this album is for you -- Secret Chiefs 3 is essentially Mr. Bungle's rhythm section (bassist Trevor Dunn & drummer Danny Heifetz), joined by fellow Mr. Bungle/brief Faith No More guitarist Trey Spruance. What makes Secret Chiefs 3 different from Mr. Bungle is that there is no lead vocalist present (Spruance and Dunn sing on a few of the tracks), and the trio somehow manages to concoct even more mysterious and demented compositions than Bungle. There is also a more prominent Middle Eastern flavor to the music, which Mr. Bungle has only lightly touched upon in the past. What the two groups have in common are abrupt, unbearable noise bursts, tape sound effects, and plenty of inside jokes. Just about every type of music rears its ugly head at some point on First Grand Constitution and Bylaws, and the band has pulled off the damn near impossible by condensing almost all of these musical forms into one single track, "Resurrection Day Soundtrack." Other highlights include the Devo-like closer "White As They Come," the foreign marching sounds of both "Assassin's Blade" and "Zulkifar," and the classic 1960s sound of "Inn of Three Doors." Music for those weary of the mainstream. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
