Today's avant-garde would certainly have looked different without John Zorn. This New York reed player, composer and label owner has always shown as much interest in free jazz and modern classical as in klezmer, film music, rock and hardcore, and was a pioneer in fusing them. Something of the ferocious freerock of his band Naked City returns on the album Templars: In Sacred Blood, a concept album
… about the ups and downs of the Templars. Almost cinematically, the Middle Ages come to life with many ritual drum rhythms, dark soundscapes, sinister church music and unwieldy hard rock. The lead role is for Mike Patton, known as the vocalist of the crossover band Faith No More, but has also always been active in cross-cutting avant-prog bands like Mr. Bungle and Fantômas. Patton is a voice actor who on Templars ... growls, screams, whispers, recites and sings Gregorian chant. And so the history of the mysterious and unfortunate Templars unfolds on this dark yet entertaining album. (MR)more
