Belgian band KermesZ à l’Est has just unveiled their brand new album, Octophilia, which lives somewhere at the intersection of jazz, metal and Eastern European traditions. Following up on their previous LP (RDS-202, 2020) and Junkz (a collaborative project composed with La Jungle and released in February 2023), the band recently returned to the studio to record Octophilia, a new album of long-format pieces that expands its influences to the Caucasus and Baroque music while also absorbing elements of math rock and poetry. It also features some festive and surprising numbers that combine punk energy and Balkan intoxication, obscure beats and electro trance. Once more, Kermesz delivers an extraordinary, supercharged mashup that explodes styles and norms for a festive and devilishly dyna...