Prog-improv Vancouverites Fond of Tigers’ double drumkit power is pushed into more expressive territory on this second album. Surely one of Canada’s loudest bands in any genre, their predilection for gigantic dynamic shifts has only increased, with their sustained bombast giving way to more restrained grooves, then sliding into barely audible ambience. This time out, the quiet passages have the same degree of intricacy and gusto as when they rock out, and with mad scientists Jesse Zubot on violin and J.P. Carter on trumpet, Fond of Tigers have two incredible soloists who can create a massive soundscape at a moment’s notice. The mix, as with all of this season’s Drip Audio releases, has greatly improved in terms of clarity, allowing the listener to follow the action up front as well as in the corners.

I’m not quite sure what this means, or if it comes with unlimited pop refills. Chart Magazine rounds up the comings and goings of this week’s campus and community charts across Canada, which finds RELEASE THE SAVIOURS at #5 on the national jazz charts and #20 on the overall charts.

Our second full-length album, RELEASE THE SAVIOURS will be officially released on Tuesday, November 20th on the Drip Audio label. This week, it debuted at #1 on CITR (101.9 FM, Vancouver), and #4 on CFRU (99.3 FM, Guelph), #1 on CKXU (Jazz Charts, #20 overall) #9 on CKDU (88.1 FM, Halifax), and #5 on the Experimental chart at Calgary’s CJSW (90.9 FM). More chart updates to follow.

CBC’s the Signal has also been supportive, playing some of the album’s more esoteric moments.

The Vancouver Province was quick to review the album. Here’s what Stuart Derdeyn had to say:

If you aren’t sold on this CD by the end of “Hebvark,” then the sprawling 12-plus-minute “Pemberdunn Maple Wolfs” should do the job. This Vancouver septet goes after the point where jazz improv, progressive jams, math rock and even a tad of folk meet with an even more no-holds-barred attitude than its debut. This means everything from a crying violin vying with treated trumpets to a screaming piano. The varied dynamics of the songs mean you never know what’s coming next, a rare treat in today’s pre-fab pop scene.