Forget the nuevo-metal, krautdrone, acid-folk revival- what have you; Hate Jazz is where it is at, and we haven't had a generous enough helping of it since Last Exit was in its most raging 80s form, unless you count the too-sporadic performances from upstate NY's Borbetomagus (picture Brotzmann having eaten Ayler and locking big ass sax bells with his twin while a feedback-crazed guitarist goes ape). Here is the new CD from the west coast trio known as Saint of Killers, and holy hell, it's truly amazing. Basically made up of one guitar and one set of drums instrument-wise, one might wonder the big fuss is about (or why it's being called jazz let alone death-jazz), but add to the mix one woman named Jesse Quatro, who would be extremely powerful going tete-a-tete with Eye, Diamanda Galas, or fronting Meshuggah for that matter (all three of whom the Saint of Killers claim as influences) and you'll see/hear the picture more clearly. "Soft Targets", the live closer of the record, shreds completely through 10 minutes of paralyzing improv/metal mayhem, using its stops and quiet spaces to as stunning effect as the outburts/freakouts and pure sheets of screech laid down by Jesse. If the Boredoms circa 93 played with Masayuki Takayanagi it would be equally powerful, but again this is only a trio with two instruments and voice.

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