Excellent as the two quartet discs are, the trilogy saves its ace to the end, thus bringing it to a fitting climax. (Despite that, it is worth stressing that this trilogy should best be heard altogether, rather than one of its discs being cherry-picked.) The pairing of Pat Thomas's piano and Steve Noble's percussion—credited as "The Both"—is an ideal match. The two had recorded together before, on And (Rectangle, 1997) with Derek Bailey, but with Noble on turntables not drums—an encounter that gave no hint of what was in store here...

For forty-five minutes, across six pieces, the two engage in an animated dialogue that ebbs and flows back and forth between them. Thomas is a very percussive pianist who can frequently pound out block chords with great gusto, to great dramatic effect—as at the climax of the opener, "Da Da." Noble is a melodic percussionist for whom the sounds he is making seem as important as his rhythms—as he demonstrates on the track "The Both" with a stunning solo centred around some typically exquisite cymbal work. All of their exchanges form a thrilling and varied ride, with periods of great delicacy and detail interspersed with adrenalin-charged peaks. We must hope their adoption of a duo name signals that we shall be hearing more from The Both. Soon, please. An excellent end to a trilogy to treasure. Yes, Treader is back and in fine fettle...