It’s unbecoming for a pair of metalheads to drop mention of an odd number for no good reason, and far be it from nylon-stringers Rodrigo y Gabriela to disappoint. On the heels of their self-titled third album, the thrash-happy acoustic duo brings odd-meter thunder to the title track of 11:11. Gone is the something-to-prove immediacy of the duo’s 2006 release, whose bold song choices like Metallica’s “Orion” have been replaced by original compositions (with the occasional riffing nod to guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Kirk Hammett). As before, rhythm guitarist Gabriela Quintero quietly steals the show with her remarkable percussive strumming technique, and Rodrigo Sanchez maintains his approach to lead guitar, which, while occasionally lapsing into repetitive melodic sections, still manages to dazzle. Of particular strength on this record is the chemistry between the two players—one gets the impression that these two were simply made to play together. Some choices here feel a little misguided, like the sound of doors opening and closing between movements of the section-oriented “Savitri,” or on “Atman” where an electric shred solo (courtesy of Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick) comes out of left field. These additions may be attempts to break up the barrage of instrumental acoustic jamming, but they end up distracting from the music rather than adding to it. Beneath these devices lies an album not far removed from the duo’s previous efforts, but Rodrigo y Gabriela can hardly be blamed for sticking to what works. What is a pair of guitar slingers to do when their previous album corners the market on Latin-infused nylon-string thrash metal? Someone must have reminded them that few acoustic duos get to play the Super Bowl. (ATO Records, atorecords.com)