ZU

It's great to hear how sound two experimental bands from different roots playing together free improvs and great classics. Doesn't the sound is radically different - it's still same free jazz improvisation based music, but for everyone familiar with ZU original works strong influence from American band's music shows the former trio in new light. In fact, music became more jazzy, often - just pure free jazz, and Ken Vandermark's sax soloing is more funky and far not so brutal, as Luca Mai's bariton's.

From another hand, Italian's more heavy and dark, rock influenced sound with distorted bass and a aggressive drumming did bring some modern avant flavor for free jazz sound of American musicians. Most interesting is still the second part of album, where both teams working hard on free funk standards.

Recommended album for ZU fans, it shows really interesting more jazzy influenced side of the trio.

Zu's trademark sound is bariton sax free improves filling all the space and there you will hear it plenty. Happily, on live release trio had even more space for explosive jamming and unlimited improvs, so this album is full of both.

I really like Luca Mai's low tenor sax fast and sharp improvs sound, rhythm sections do a great support to him, so believe me - the music is noisy there! Not the kind of brutal Japanese noisy hardcore or radical Naked City's one, but similar Italian version of it - still more rounded, a bit more melodic (if it's possible to speak about melodies in such music at all) and not such radically cacophonous. But I am speaking about nuances inside of the same musical genre - no special structure,order or pre-recorded composition could be found there in this music.

The main value of this release is great musicianship level of all three musicians, excellent sax fast and angular soloing, noisy and heavy support from rhythm section and very specific free sound atmosphere of the concert. If you like such music, this album is really interesting one for you, for unprepared listener the reaction could be quite unpredictable.

"Ostia" opens with pounding drums and low end noise. It picks up then we get some dissonant sax a minute in.Then it gets even noisier.Themes are repeated half way through. "Chthonian" turns noisier and heavier before a minute. A lot of distortion here. It picks up 2 minutes in. I feel a headache coming on. It settles 5 minutes in thankfully but it's not for long. "Carbon" features this distorted beat. It settles before 1 1/2 minutes and some weird sax joins in. "Beata Viscera" is better.The drums and bass sound fairly normal as the sax joins in.

"Erinys" has some killer drumming in it. Too much noise though. "Soulympics" has a good rhythm as creepy vocals join in. "Axion" is loud, dark and noisy. I like the sax 3 minutes in with that powerful under-current. "Mimosa Hostilis" is uptempo. A repetitive beat before 2 minutes comes in. Screaming sax late. "Obsidian" is an excellent track. I like the sound after 3 minutes. It ends in a spacey way. "Orc" opens with atmosphere as different sounds come and go including birds, water, dogs and so on. Sounds are building 2 1/2 minutes in. It settles back to a very atmospheric mood to end it.

I'd love to hear an album full of tunes like the last two tracks.This is just too noisy for me.

Notable is the somewhat unconventional lead here, which is Luca Mai's baritone saxophone that proves to be very suitable to this kind of heavy music, performing some fierce shrieks and deep, heavy growls. The rhythm section as well is important for the distinctive sound created here. It's a very strong one, consisting of Jacopo Battaglia's aggressive drumming and Massimo Pupillo's bass playing, which often has a thick sound and frequently is distorted. Apart from playing the drums, Jacopa Battaglia also is responsible for the electronics and even some mellotron, that manage to give the album a somewhat amospheric feel.

Zu's intense sound can already be heard in the first riff of the heavy opener "Ostia", with it's distorted bass and dissonant saxophone playing, reminding one of free-jazz. The majority of music on the album is in this vein, dynamic and intense, though it still maintains a diverse feel and keeps me completely interested even after the many times I've listened to it. Also worth mentioning are the collaborations with other musicians on this album, among them Mike Patton's vocal performance on "Soulolympics" and King Buzzo's (Melvins) guitar playing on "Chthonian".

After the many times I've listened to Carboniferous it still manages to amaze me. This might have something to do with the energetic and intense sound Zu creates here, which is an unique and distictive one. I'd recommend this album to those who might enjoy a combination of the dissonance of free-jazz and the monstrous power of a heavy rhythm section.

Italian trio from Rome is playing very unusual music for Italy. I don't mean RIO/avant in whole, but I am speaking about THEIR kind of experimental music. We all awaiting high level of musicality from any Italian band. There is wrong example on this album. They are playing free-jazz heavily mixed with punk, hardcore, noise and whatever else you want.

Musicians are all highest class, plus they have special American guests on few tracks: Jeb Bishop (trombone) and Ken Vandermark (sax). Brutal combination of punkish drums attacks and brass cacophonic solos instead of soloing guitars. Sound games as well.

For sure this kind of music is known. John Zorn in some his works demonstrated great success in this field. But the big difference is musicality. Zorn's genius bring musicality even in his playing noise and chaos. There you wouldn't find musicality. Almost no traces.

Is it so bad? Don't think so. This album is radical experimental work in the hottest field of modern jazz - punk-free-jazz. And some moments there are interesting enough. But - I am saying interesting, no way great. There are many interesting figures, experimenting with similar music ( and I like Mats Gustafsson or Barry Guy really more), but very a few of them can produce music, not pure experimental sound.

Radical experimental album, could be in interest of free-jazz and experimental jazz lovers. Can shock those thinking that musical composition should have melody, structure or any other form.

To my pleasant surprise, the band plays Avant-garde jazz with a serious flavor of metal music. Without guitar distortion, they use a distorted keyboard synthesizer and distorted bass to create a heavy sound. Incorporated with wild Saxophone, complex drum and wild idea of jazz metal, they sound quite serious and avant.. Thick layer of heavy sound with avant jazz component-- pretty much like John Zorn on steroid. So rich with complexity and yet as dark as post metal style. The distorted synth and bass play out like heavy guitar riff. The musicians are all fantastic. I love it!

If you are a fan of John Zorn type of music. This album is the must. Superb!

Key tracks on the album are Zu Circus, Testa di Cane, and Erotomane. This is indeed one of their best works and its sure not to dissapoint. 4.5 stars.