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The words 'Root side project' made me wonder just how weird something would have to be to necessitate a separate band from Root – perhaps the most odd and iconoclastic metal band ever. Pretty weird, as it turns out. Equirhodont (and no, I don't know what it means either.) consists of Big Boss and guitar wizard Igor from Root and a bunch other dudes playing some very odd and compelling stuff. I can't classify this as anything but just Heavy Metal, because there isn't a category for "Weird-Ass Dark Metal".

If you took the sound of Root's "The Book" and made it even stranger and less conventional, then you would be somewhere in the neighborhood of Equirhodont. This is pretty laid back stuff, very melodic and in places pretty spacey. You will not find any of the fury and megalomaniacal stomp of older Root here. But despite that this is still metal, and like Root it segues effortlessly from narration, to acoustic beauty, and then back to dark, moody riffs that seem to creep up on you like slouching devils and pounce where you least expect it. All throughout you will find the melodic riff genius of Igor Hubik at work, and over all rules the powerful, mercurial voice of "Big Boss" Valter, who rules every bit as much here as he does with Root.

From the lyrics, I can tell this is some kind of concept album about a wizard named Equirhodont, who is the son of the Devil or something. There's quite a bit of narration (in English this time) and while it isn't bad, it is rather awkwardly written. I have to confess even a close perusal of the lyrics will give you only the most general idea of what this is about. But as with Root, this is less to be dissected than simply enjoyed for its lunatic machinery – just shake your head and smile at the utter weirdness of it all, then bang your head as the ass-kickery begins again. Just like Root, Equirhodont are strange, mystical, occult and obscure, but also involving and entertaining in ways more commercial music just cannot be.