Customer Reviews

Way of the Animal Powers

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Props to Brian Turner at WFMU for re-introducing me to this band. I always sort of dug Zu, a pretty cool weird sort-of jazz outfit from Italy. But hearing Zu's "Tom Araya Is Our Elvis" on the radio knocked my block off. Woah! What kind of jazz group could come up with a track like that. A skronking sludgy punch to the guts. Hypnotically repetitive and alright, I'll say it, HEAVY!

Since when was it okay for a jazz group to channel Slayer and just CRUSH? Who cares! Zu is my 'heavy jazz' drug of choice now. And the title of the track that got me hooked? Perfect! Because Tom Araya IS my Elvis. This whole record is a dense tangled blast of downtuned artmetal deathjazz. Imagine Morphine, on, er, well, morphine. Dark and druggy, stumbling, convoluted and complex, a stuttering staggering drums, bass and horns battle royale. But this is not about skree as much as it is about the slithery lowslung skronk, liberally peppered with subtle scrabbly scattery percussive shuffle and moaning droning cello. So f---ing great!

Somewhere between thrash and avant-garde jazz, Zu creates some very compelling music. Not for you if you are of the faint of heart... otherwise dig in for a great ride.