Carboniferous

Catching the attention of Ex-Faith No More honcho Mike Patton and being picked to join the ranks of his highly regarded Ipecac label in company with artists such as Melvins, Hella, and the Locust, would be one hell of a high point for the majority of heavy, avant-rock bands currently making music. Zu, one of the most progressive no-wave metal bands ever to come out of Italy, were recruited by Patton for the release of their 14th album, Carboniferous , and one cannot conceive a more fitting home for the trio.

Mongrel means one of mixed ancestry. Usually used in reference to canines, the word describes those whose parentage is unknown and who lack traits specific to one single breed. Instead, a melange of genetic influences create a creature who typically displays what is known as hybrid vigor, the opposite of the classic problem of pure-breed genetic defects, such as hip dysplasia. There is certainly the possibility that a hybrid will inherit mostly undesirable traits from its pare nts — known as outbreeding depression — but it is more likely that the mongrel will show traits consistent with outbreeding enhancement, taking desirable traits from the parents and producing a more robust and long-lasting creature.