Zu: Modern Genius or Noisy Rubbish?

We’ve had a bit of that debate in the office of late, with online editor Scott Morrow weighing in on the side of genius. For those unfamiliar, Zu is an experimental Italian trio that combines sludgy alt-metal with complex rhythms and free-jazz freakouts.

The group’s upcoming album, Carboniferous, will be released by Ipecac on February 10, and if Scott has his way, it will end up on ALARM’s 2009 year-end list (yeah — he feels strongly about it).

The early favorites for the album’s best songs are “Carbon” and “Soulympics,” the latter of which features Ipecac co-owner Mike Patton busting out ape-shit screeches akin to those from “Cuckoo for Caca” by Faith No More.

To hear “Carbon,” head to the band’s MySpace page. After that, let us know what you think.