Zozobra

Zozobra (which translates to "anxiety" in Spanish) is also the name of a massive effigy that's burned every year at the Fiestas de Santa Fe. Taking the form of a giant marionette, the figure (also called "Old Man Gloom") is burned to ceremonially cleanse the worries and cares of the previous year. The share a name (though in a different language) with experimental post-metal project Old Man Gloom, of which Caleb Scofield (bass, guitar, vocals) is also a member — founder Aaron Turner (Isis) also drummed on Zozobra's second album. Savage Masters is their third full-length release, and features a line-up comprised of Scofield, Adam McGrath (Cave In, Bodega Girls) and J.R. Connors (Cave In) on drums. Coming five years after the band's last release, Birds of Prey, Savage Masters is a much more straightforward, outwardly aggressive album, seeking the catharsis that can only come from cleansing by fire. There's an emphasis from all members on pushing their instruments to their limits and beyond, making art out of the moments where something breaks, whether it's the squeal of snapping strings or the raw croak of a throat screamed raw. "Black Holes" even ends with a protracted cough and screeching feedback that registers like a punctured lung sucking air. Driven, highly distorted and overtly aggressive, on Savage Masters, Zozobra have translated their anxiety into fury.