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Zhorhann — Ainsi Parlait Hominina
(Bandcamp Luminol Records, 2023, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-10-23

Ainsi Parlait Hominina Cover art

Zhorhann is a new French band that fits into the stream of rock inspired by Mr Bungle. In retrospect, it seems inevitable that Mr Bungle would have a lasting impact on rock music, though at the time they may have seemed mostly just scatterbrained and bizarre, though undeniably talented. Zhorhann, as a trio of guitar, bass, and drums, has a sound that is less far-ranging than Bungle’s, but the aesthetic of abrupt changes and weird juxtapositions is certainly present. The main instigator here is guitarist Mathieu Torres, who writes all the material. He is ably aided and abetted by bassist Vincent Blandeau and drummer Heiva Arnal, along with an excessive bank of effects. The music is instrumental, though the liner notes insist it’s a concept album attempting to “dissect modern humans on the eve of their extinction.” Be that as it may, Ainsi Parlait Hominina (a French nod to Nietzsche’s Also Sprach Zarathustra — in English Thus Spoke Zarathustra) is the proverbial “one damn thing after another” in the sense that musical ideas pour out with little regard to what comes before or after, making the procession of sounds the point rather than conventional structures. A track like “Egoduc” changes style approximately every four bars, almost like a sonic sample reel for guitar effects, presenting wildly varying tones in each segment. It’s massively impressive, and if you let it just flow over you, its nonsense becomes a kind of sense in its own fragmented universe. There is no rest for anyone here, wicked, virtuous, or otherwise. Obviously, Zhorhann is not going to appeal to everyone, but anyone attuned to the vibe of Estradasphere, Ultraphauna, and the like should enjoy the madness. And guitar junkies in search of a new kind of virtuoso can have their brains boggled by what Torres does.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Zhorhann

More info
http://matzizrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ainsi-parlait-hominina

 

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