The Bob Lazar Story – Vanquisher (Bad Elephant Music, 2019)
Vanquisher marked the seventh album from The Bob Lazar Story, the musical collaboration between UK-born guitarist Matt Deacon and US-based drummer Chris Jago. Known for their brief, intricate, and Zappaesque instrumental prog-rock compositions, the duo continued their exploration of complex arrangements and vigorous contrasts.
Following 2017’s critically acclaimed Baritonia, Vanquisher featured densely layered compositions alongside more sparse acoustic passages, offering a balance of intensity and restraint. The album also continued the conceptual narrative of Foodstool, a recurring character in their work.
The Bob Lazar Story is the project of Matt Deacon, a Liverpool-born musician who started playing guitar in 1982. After a stint with the Liverpool band Cosmic Donut and formal studies in music theory, he relocated to New Zealand in 1998. Initially a guitar teacher, Deacon transitioned into composing and recording, releasing his debut album in 2004. The addition of drummer Chris Jago in 2012’s Space Roots helped shape the project’s more cohesive, distinctive sound.
Musicians: Matt Deacon on guitar, mouse, vocals; Chris Jago on drums, percussion, and screams; Mike Fudakowski on bass; Jacob Petrossian, lead guitar on ‘Ambient Pedals’; Zeke Deacon, vocals on Tony!!
Track listing:
- Pongville
- Is This Foodstool?
- Eleven
- Tony!!
- Eyes Only/Vanquisher
- Restroom
- Section 8
- Goodbye Victor Tripaldi
- Project Top Secret
- Hooves & Broken Biscuits
- Arps
- Two For The Rest
- Ambient Pedals
- Operation Full Klinger
- Randoloftentimes
- Elvensnip
Buy Vanquisher.