JAN ZEHRFELD'S PANZERBALLETT - HART GENOSSEN VON ABBA BIS ZAPPA - 2009

Немецкие парни из Panzerballett исполняют взрывоопасную смесь, сочетающую в себе кучу интересных стилей, зачастую разбавляя собственный репертуар своеобразными интерпретациями известных хитов и мелодий. Очень советую всем, кто ещё не знаком с творчеством этого коллектива!

У коллектива совершенно необыкновенный подход к музыкальному материалу, всем любителям фьюжна и саксофона строго рекомендуется. Исполнено всё на высочайшем техническом уровне: и ломанные ритмы, и тяжметальные куски, и даже вокал есть, при этом всё очень задорно и здорово. Позитив и заряд бодрости обеспечен. А живьём они вытворяют такое, что не оставляют равнодушными даже непереваривающих джаз и метал

Amazon have been remarkably quick delivering the latest Panzerballett album,, 'Hart Genossan Von Abba bis Zappa'. This is released hot on the heels after their excellent second studio album 'Starke Stucke'. The album title according to ACT Record's website isn't readily translatable - but indeed flags up the presence of Abba and Zappa's music. I thought that from the newer forms of jazz fusion on record, 'Starke Stucke' with its particular blend of metal jazz fusion was the best release last year. And after a few listens, I'll stick my neck out and say 'Hart Genossan' does it again for 2009. The album has tons of visceral energy fusing several styles of jazz and rock together, it is fun, contains great originals and interpretations, makes good used of sax and guitar (metal shred and jazz) as lead instruments, and has the sort of complexities of jazz fusion that make you want to go back and listen afresh to discover different aspects of their playing/music. The album kicks off brilliant ly well with their take of 'The Simpson's Theme' (nice to see the wackiness of Elfman's music being amplified again - Birdsongs of the Mezoic did a great version too some time ago). This is a tune seemingly is in 4 movements: 1st fade in and almost true to the TV version bar the reinstrumentation, 2nd the metal, 3rd cocktail lounge jazz, 4th reprise of metal. An excellent opening to the album and signalling the fun to come. Elsewhere Klaus Dolinger guests on a relatively short song, which is approximately 90% Panzer/10% Passport. As PB demonstrated on their second album, the band are particularlly good at the deconstruction of rock standards and rebuilding in their inimitable style. Abba's 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' gets it this time - with the main riffs of the tune acting as anchor points for PB's type of jazz. In comparison, their treatment of 6 Zappa tunes, covered in two pieces, is relatively polite. PB attack a deathmetal ... standard (is that the right word?) and provide a fair sprinkling of very interesting band composed tunes. These reflect the range of styles PB utilise in their music, where you are just as likely to hear the more traditional jazz vocals and the guteral/throaty death metal voice on the same tune, as well the combinations of screaming/subtle sax-playing, or jazz chords/metal strumming on guitar. One special comment about the less typical fusion of jazz and Eastern European folk music on 'The Mediterranean Breeze', with the most promising Turkish Cypriot guitarist Okan Ersan guesting (check out PB/Ersan playing this tune live on You Tube) .

Such music will give the jazz police nightmares!! !! Strongly recommended.
http://www.progarchives.com



Some say the jazz police will despair over Panzerballet, the German jazz-metal band led by spectacular guitarist Jan Zehrfeld that Die Welt described as "faster than Metallica, more powerful than Motörhead, and funnier than Rammstein". It's easy to imagine that more sensitive listeners might flee this experience with their fingers in their ears simply on mental-health grounds, but it's hard to believe it would nowadays be dismissed as un-jazz or anti-jazz, since some of it suggests John Zorn, and some even early Steely Dan. Panzerballet made waves with its 2008 debut Starke Stücke, and its successor cranks up the intensity with which Terje Rypdal-like guitar ambiance turns into heavy-rock power chords, sax-led free-jazz, snarling gothic vocals, preeningly cool jazz and ironic love-ballads that sound like Brüno singing with an improv band. Guitarist Zehrfeld is an exhilarating player who seems to relish heart-stopping chord-slams and freshly phrased bebop sprints equally. The interpretations rip apart the Simpsons theme, Abba's Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and a Zappa medley with even-handed indifference to the originals. It'll be too frivolously ironic for some, but it's great fun.
http://www.guardian.co.uk