Making it through the final track of Chimärendämmerung, the latest from productive UK/Brooklyn duo Hototogisu, inspired a head-scratching, "Where's my copy of Skullflower's Carved Into Roses?" (It took a while, but I finally found it in my unalphabetized piles, stuck between Harry Pussy's What Was Music? and Richard Youngs's Advent).

Twelve years later, Roses remains a perfect swarm. Not to mention that its craggy, mountainy hell-fire cover painting looks a lot like the less-colorful collage on the front of Double Leopards' glacial 2005 treat, Savage Summer Sun.

Could be coincidental. Could be flat-out homage! Seriously, check the angle of the right-side slope for uncanny Bob Ross accuracy.

Either way, it's obvious the Leopards studied (or at least bonged out to) Matthew Bower's projects-Skullflower, Total, Sunroof!, et al.

What makes this extended art-historical lecture noteworthy (if you didn't know, or couldn't guess) is that Hototogisu is comprised of the metallurgical king himself joining forces with the Leopards' Marcia Bassett.

She reinvigorates his approach; he pushes her beyond her concurrent configurations. (Should be noted, too: Chimärendämmerung includes a cut-out picture of a leopard as well as some sorta big-cat skull.) Musically, track five, the cumulative finale, nails the viola, spilt electronics and guitar feedback best.

It's the shortest of the lot, but B&B Noise Factory manage to fold in three times the sounds: Every last crumb of Chimärendämmerung's clatter scowls towards it.

Where other pieces float and striate (airing out), it never stops rubbing faces in metallic muck (box your ears: it starts sounding like Nachtmystium).

Yeah, it may tear cacophony a new asshole, but a line of elegant sustain bubbles through the sand pit-follow its line of flight to avoid suffocation.

So, you're doing as instructed, but like your oxygen really has moseyed, the piece cuts out mid-howl.

Perhaps a nod to Four Violins? Okay, I'll stop. But seriously, this is one heavy bird call.

- BRANDON STOSUY