Cerberus: Book of Angels Volume 26
John Zorn · 2015
56 min · 10 tracks · avant-garde jazz
Organ and electric guitar push Zorn’s melodies through a volatile meeting of jazz improvisation and metal intensity.
Top tracks — play these first
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Gehegial Start here — The opener introduces the trio’s electric instrumental palette and the forceful attack it brings to Zorn’s songbook.
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Armasa — At over seven minutes, this is the album’s longest piece, giving the trio more room than the opening tracks to develop its interplay.
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Thronus — Following the expansive Armasa, this nearly seven-minute piece keeps the focus on the trio’s extended treatment of Zorn’s compositions.
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Pahadron — The six-minute closer offers a final stretch of the organ, guitar and drums combination that distinguishes this Book of Angels volume.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album showcases inventive compositions and skilled execution, though it may not appeal to all listeners.
What we noticed
- Several tracks employ abrupt transitions between sections, challenging the listener's expectations of structure.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- near-hour of volatile intensity
- organ-and-guitar-fueled melodic clashes
- mid-length tracks with shifting pressure
- sustained tension across ten pieces
Maybe skip if you
- want soothing, predictable listening
- prefer quick, low-intensity albums
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Deep Cut — A specialized installment in the long-running Book of Angels series, offering a focused interpretation of Zorn's comp...
- Themes
- Masada songbook melodies· Cerberus and angel mythology· organ-and-guitar clashes
- Career context
- Released in 2015, Cerberus is the 26th volume in John Zorn’s Book of Angels series, devoted to compositions from his second Masada songbook. Its trio of John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg and Kenny Grohowski brings a hard-edged electric sound to a project that Zorn had entrusted to many different ensembles.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Mike Patton· The Thing· Merzbow
Tracklist
- 1 Gehegial Start here 4:59
- 2 Hakha 5:09
- 3 Hananiel 5:09
- 4 Lahal 5:19
- 5 Armasa 7:35
- 6 Thronus 6:47
- 7 Shinial 4:42
- 8 Donel 5:48
- 9 Raguel 4:45
- 10 Pahadron 6:19
What to play next
Simulacrum
2015
It extends Cerberus’s organ-and-guitar intensity with the same ensemble and a broader set of volatile compositions.
Gomory: Book of Angels Volume 25
2015
Another Book of Angels volume offers a natural entry into Cerberus’s reinterpretation of Zorn’s melodic material.
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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