It’s a “Where does the time go?” kind of situation to think that Pennsylvania‘s Stinking Lizaveta have been around for 15 years. I don’t even remember the first time I saw the trio (which is probably no accident), but the last time was at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, probably New Jersey‘s most fabled venue for this kind of music. The avant instrumentalists were promoting their last record, Scream of the Iron Iconoclast (At a Loss Recordings), and as ever, their live presentation brought extra excitement that their recorded output was lacking. There’s something about just watching them play.

Guitarist Yanni Papadopoulos, bassist Alexi Papadopoulos (think maybe they’re related?) and energetic drummer Cheshire Agusta don’t ever have an expensive light show or videos playing behind them — there isn’t really any spectacle to what they do on stage — but seeing them go back and forth with their quirky jazzified doom adds an appreciable element that is lost on the average disc listen. Even with eyes closed, trying to soak in each and every note of new album, Sacrifice and Bliss (once again At a Loss).

That’s not to say nothing has changed in Stinking Lizaveta. Bolstered by Sanford Parker‘s production, the sweet tones of “When I Love You” that transition into the first of several excellent guitar solos from Papadopoulos sound full and engaging, and where the band’s music has always had a kind of limited appeal — to musicians or a certain brand of the stoner faithful — Sacrifice and Bliss feels more welcoming than past output. As someone who wasn’t that into Scream of the Iron Iconoclast, the difference is palpable.

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