What exactly do you get when you meld together the genres of jazz and metal? What really happens when Sinatra meets Satan? The answer to that question my friends is Horns, the brilliant new project from the extraordinary mind of pianist and composer Simon Fache. Their self-titled debut album is a brilliant romp where the devil himself swing dances with his evil underlings to the sounds of bold and majestic horns set against the twisted metal of shredding guitars.
Wait a minute. What? Yes, it’s true ‘Horns’ is not your typical metal album nor is it your typical jazz album. Instead, it combines some of the best elements of both musical worlds to bring us a glorious amalgam of dark and theatrical instrumentations that prove to be both grand and majestic yet evil and vicious at the same time.
Fache and lead vocalist Julien Jacquemond have outdone themselves with the arrangements and production level on this album which features both original tracks and covers by some of Jazz and swing’s greatest stars. Surrounded by some of the best musicians around, they have brought us an album for the ages or one that defies the ages. The original song ‘Typical Teenagers’ really shows off the bright swing horn section which is juxtaposed sharply by the dirty vocal screams and blistering guitar work while the driving pace of the drums and bass lines in ‘First Time in Infernal Paradise’ provide a solid foundation for the brass accompaniment.
The must listen to track on the album is definitely ‘Scream Scream Scream’ an outstanding cover of Louis Prima’s iconic jazz tune ‘Sing Sing Sing’ This song will have you imagining yourself walking into your favorite speakeasy to order a drink only to find out the bandleader is Mephistopheles himself. I love this version of the song and highly recommend checking it out. With fifteen nicely done songs, there is a lot to listen to on ‘HORNS’ including a little Sinatra, HORNS style, with ‘Fly Me To The Darkside of the Moon’ and getting a little cheeky with ‘The Unavoidable Ballad.’
The Horns’ debut album is a little avant-garde and one of the most interesting pieces of music to hit my inbox in a long time. If you like your jazz a little nasty or if you like your metal a little horny, this is one for you.
- ‘Horns’ is released today (Wednesday 1 December). You can get your copy HERE.
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