Magna Carta

Attention Umphrey’s fans who always wished that the band would stop noodling around so much and get more brutal – your wish has been granted. What else do you expect when you combine OHM/former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland with the power trio of Jake Cinninger, Joel Cummins and Kris Myers? The album bursts open with “Devil’s in the Details,” a track that begins with speed metal guitar dueling, weaves into a funk groove reminiscent of “Nothing Too Fancy’s” past, takes a brief stop into trippy electronic territory, and then, climaxes in a guitar battle – all in the course of seven minutes. The group is all over the place on this album and, for once, this is a good thing. There’s something for everyone on Posthaste, whether you’re into reggae (the creatively titled psych-reggae tune “Reggaelic” ), ‘80s synth-pop ( “Tom Bombadil” ) or improvisation that lasts for exactly twenty minutes and twenty seconds ( “20/20” ). Overall, Posthaste soars, showing a beautiful glimpse into a fantasy world where jamband fans and metalheads coexist in peace.