Black Fortress of Opium

Album Review

The quartet Black Fortress of Opium certainly isn't out to hide its lead member's part-Turkish roots — besides a variety of artwork references, there's the minor fact that she credits herself as Ajda the Turkish Queen. But rather than being a neo-traditional act playing nothing but saz, say, Black Fortress of Opium is a brawling, dark monster of a band that seems like it should be playing shows with, say, Nicki Jaine or the Dresden Dolls rather than Gogol Bordello. The resultant fusion of cabaret and Anatolia initially works more as a whole than a part — the slow, deliberate pace of many of the songs seem like they should be working with an audience's feeling rather than simply captured one way — but as the album progresses, a remarkable variety within their general approach becomes readily evident. (Perhaps tellingly, one of the strongest cuts, "Your Past," is also one of the most varied, shifting from a growling, focused punch to a slow, extremely understated float and back again throughout the song.) As a result, the album proves to be an overall success, with Ajda's theatrical singing an audible combination of styles that still finding its way, but well down that road. To her further credit, she often calls to mind one of America's most compelling voices, Kristin Hersh, is to her further credit (heard most audibly on "Ari"). Martin Bisi's experienced ear behind the boards gives a huge heft to the rhythm section, putting it squarely in the tradition of Bisi-produced acts like the Swans in particular, but he's just as able to capture the most fragile moments, such as the first "Crack and Pool," mostly consisting of Ajda and mandolin, and the marvelous left curve of "Model Café," a classic country twang of a song that draws on Ajda's Texas upbringing in a further twist of expectations.