NOSFERATU

As one can deduce from the subject matter this is one of John Zorn's dark jazz albums and in my opinion also one of his better ones. Parts of it are insanely dark and aggressive and all are mesmorizing. Consistent rhythm or melodies are not very present on the album. Interestingly, the metal influence that's often part of his darker works, mostly takes the form of industrial metal here. That's new and took me by surprise, especially considering that this is a work celebrating a 100th anniversary.

While there is light there is also some shadow in my opinion. The vast majority of the songs are very short and it is my impression that musical ideas are seldomly really explored. The changes from song to song are pretty aprupt and there is not much gradual evolution. In the end, I find that this hearts the album as a whole. It works quite good as a soundtrack or soundscape, though.

The stalking is the one track that stands out on this album. It is the only longer composition and follows a more traditional song structure. In this case a dub bass line that really grooves is repeated ad infinitum and the other instruments scream or wail over it. It is quite recommended as a song, though seven something minutes are enough of that bass line.

In the end this is recommeded to proggers who like dark jazz and appreciate soundscapes. A fondness for lots of variety and left turns also helps.

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