John Zorn
Six Litanies For Heliogabalus

That John Zorn had deliberately chosen not to take part (as an instrumentalist) in the trilogy that began with "Moonchild," continued with "Astronome," and now concluded with "Six Litanies For Heliogabalus," thus "limiting" himself to the role of creator and director without ever "getting his hands dirty," was indeed strange. Especially because, as could already be inferred from listening to the two previous chapters, and now it is definitively clear, it is one of the absolute best works born from the New York genius.

It is therefore not surprising that Zorn's saxophone forcefully inserts itself into the new tracks, also considering the fact that the lineup has expanded and to the phenomenal triad composed of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron, Ikue Mori on electronics, Jamie Saft on organ, and a female choir have been added. Six compositions have emerged, differing markedly from one another, bringing together a frighteningly good rhythm section, whether in the parts of accelerated devastation or when they work with "finesse," an organ that drives most of the tracks, and perfectly coordinated insertions from the remaining instrumentation (including voice, given we are talking about Patton). And speaking of Patton, although his role is overall minor compared to the two previous albums, it must be said that he finds a way to recover and with interest, as "Litany, Pt. 4" is for his exclusive use, so prepare yourself for screams, deliriums, spits, and lucid madness applied to the vocal cords.

Between speed metal, noise/avant rock, dynamic symphonies, terrifying settings, and uncontrolled free jazz. I am once again amazed. At this point, one of the most fascinating, intense, and content-rich trilogies (not only sonically) ever created comes to a close!