Search - John Zorn :: The Crucible

Do it.

Wesley K. Long | Mariana Trench | 01/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've been burned (and if you're reading this, you have) by past Patton/Zorn combos, relax. This one is really good. It's not the noise for noise's sake. It's not a quiet album, or an album with no apparent focus or rhythm. These are four (and a fifth musician, Mark Ribot on the most coherent track), very skilled musicians who have taken the best of their previous three efforts, added a bit of melody and tension without getting repetitive or predictable. In my opinion, it's the perfect album from this group, balanced, well-written, and gives each an opportunity to shine.



Now don't get me wrong, this is still Zorn, Dunn, Lombardo, and Patton. Make no mistake, this is a challenging record. But fans of any of the above will enjoy this one. The play "The Crucible" was seen as a witch hunt by some, and a test of faith to others. Zorn and co. play the accused and shine."

Moonchild with a melody.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 12/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The latest record in the Moonchild project, "The Crucible" deviates from the previous records in the project in that, while its definitely a "loud" album, rather than being thematic-based material, there is a distinct element of melody on the record. In addition, the Moonchild trio of Mike Patton (vocals), Trevor Dunn (bass) and Joey Baron (drums) is augmented by the composer on alto sax and, on one track, guitarist Marc Ribot.



Like Moonchild though, the album consists by and large of intense, loud, rock inspired music-- Patton sings, grunts, screams and mumbles wordlessly alongside Zorn's sax, in its full up "loud music" mode (though perhaps a bit less shrill than on something like Buried Secrets/Guts of a Virgin), all over the top of the rhythm sections fierce performance-- Dunn is aggressive and assertive, filling a role somewhere in between traditional rock bass and guitar through a round, aggressive tone, and Baron is his usual monster, illustrating mastery over his instrument of a capacity not usually seen.



But there are massive differences between this and previous records by this band, and this is obvious from opener "Almadel". As opposed to a rhythmic pulse with Patton raging away on top of it, this one features a dueling improv between vocal and alto not unlike the Dave Douglas/John Zorn duels on Masada, then breaks into a Masada-like theme before expldoing into another dueling improv section. Zorn is downright inspired, railing away with energy and fire, Patton is intriguing and explosive, and the group is anchored by show-stealing performances from the rhythm section. This continues forth throughout the rest of the album, moving through different moods and sounds, from trading screaches a la "Litany II" of Six Litanies for Heliogabalus ("Shapeshifting") to a "Black Dog" (of Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO))-inspired blues rock feature for Ribot (who turns in the requisite brilliant and unpredictable solo) to bop-infused breakneck electric jazz ("Hobgoblin"). Along the way, we also get lots of haunting moods ("Maleficia"), a tribal jazz/rock sax trio performance where Zorn seems to channel late period Albert Ayler over Killing Joke (his soloing brough to mind "New Generation" off Ayler's much maligned New Grass) and at least one drum performance that stopped me in my tracks (closer "Initiate").



Bottom line-- there a lot to love here. It's significantly more melodic than Moonchild, and to its benefit. The closest thing in Zorn's catalog I can equate this to is his take on the Stooges' "T.V. Eye" on Rubaiyat - Elektra's 40th Anniversary (2 Disc Set). This isn't a jump cut record a la Naked City, it's something completely different. I waffled back and forth on 4 and 5 stars, but this is a really superb album. Highly recommended."

Rock mystic magick

Switters76 | USA | 12/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With this 4th release in the Moonchild series, John Zorn has made, perhaps the most one yet. This record, more then the other three has a sense of melody and lyricism. One minute into the opening track "Almandel" we hear Mike Patton harmonizing with John Zorn's sax. It is a delight to here, my first impression was that it was not unremaniscent of Brazilian tropicalia from the '60s. That may be my subjective view and after repeated listenings I hear the legacy of Masada more. Either way Zorn is on to something different here, then the 3 previous Patton/Dunn/Baron outings. This album actually has Patton taking a bit of a backseat compared to the previous 3 albums. Not that this is a bad thing, his role is more nuanced and quite frankly more palatable. Litany IV just wasn't my cup of tea. The album is really about Trevor Dunn and John Zorn. The bass playing dominates the tunes so much that Baron's drumming is more of a compliment. Dunn especially shines on "Incubi" and "Witchfinder" , which feature propulsive, heavy grooves. John Zorn's sax playing deserves special mention. His performance on this album is simply stunning. It's perhaps his best outing since the birthday series classic guide to strategy. On "Incubi", a track without Patton, he shines in what I would define as the best example of what "new music" is all about. This smoldering track combines the elements of painkiller and masada in one song in deep soulful way. Fellow downtowner, Marc Ribot, joins on "9 X 9", a rocking song that has a chord progression similar to Led Zeppelin's "black Dog". This song along with "of wonder and certainty" from the Dreamers album represent the new dare I say poppier John Zorn if there is such a thing. All said it is a recommended purcahse for John Zorn, Mr. Bungle and rock fans with avant leanings. Of course not everyone will dig this, but by now my ears are used to Mike Patton's screams that they sound like Brazilian psychedelic music...Enjoy"