Instrumental bands are almost always on the outer fringes of music, presumably because mass superstardom isn't their drive and hence they are free to meander in whatever direction they feel like at a given moment. Such is the case with Heston Rifle, a New York quintet (two guitars, bass, drums, and violin, the latter of which is far from a secondary instrument here) who have two releases thus far. Usually one can spot the instrumental bands by the song titles, and Heston Rifle is spot on there, too, with "Can You Guess How Much That Guy Weighs?" and such. Musically, they're hard to describe -- they are often as heavy as metal dictates, but usually in a more dissonant, off-kilter manner, and their arrangements tend to ebb and flow yet without losing direction. Though they have the chops of any good instrumental band, they aren't prone to overly technical wizardry, letting the riffs speak for themselves. Really, this is more dischordant art-rock than metal, but again there are enough heavier moments to keep the more traditional metal-minded fan interested. Quite recommended for the open-minded instrumental fan.