This explosive jazz-rock unit hailing from Seattle, Washington pokes a little fun at North Korean megalomaniacal dictator Kim Jong-Il as his image is cropped alongside the band photo in the CD jacket. All the music is improvised, although various movements seem structured. Nonetheless, the unit sports a chromium edge via ominous overtones, tinged with darkness. Think of Miles Davis-type fusion for the new age, spiced with bop-rock, and he band’s wily blend of progressive jazz improvisation, featuring the guitarists’ resonating leads and scorching crunch chords.

Iron Kim comes at you from various angles and conveys a commanding presence. No wimps allowed so to speak, as they execute noise-EFX atop drummer Jay Jaskot’s ostinato patterns on "Gibberish Falter," where polytonal sounds jet out amid trumpeter Bill Jones’ soaring lines. At times, the musicians render avant rock motifs then venture into prog-rock flavored bop during the briskly executed piece titled "Po’ Breef." And the band shows a sweet spot within a few ethereal interludes, while bass clarinetist Izaak Mills adds soul-stirring treatments to the slowly ascending frameworks exhibited on "Adrift."

The ensemble gels on the bustling and linear "Pachinko Malice," which is a work that clearly defines its modus operandi due to resonating guitars, polyrhythmic pulses, torrid swing vamps and climactic soloing. It’s not for the feint of heart or sheepish soul, but a high-impact neural jolt for those willing to give it a whirl.