Legendary Italian experimental trio Zu returns with “Ferrum Sidereum” (produced by Marc Urselli), a big and bold double album arriving on January 9th, 2026, via House of Mythology.
“Ferrum Sidereum” – Latin for “cosmic iron” – draws inspiration from the mythological significance of meteoritic iron, found in artefacts like ancient Egyptian ritual objects, Tibenta “Phurpa” blades, and the celestial sword of Archangel St Michael. This elemental force imbues every moment of the album’s apocalyptic sound. Whilst heavy in tone and subject matter, bassist Massimo Pupillo comments that their music also aims to “raise good energy… people would come up to us after the show and tell us that they felt alive”.
The music combines the complexity of progressive rock, the grit of industrial music, the precision of metal, the spirit and energy of punk, and the freedom of jazz. The result is a sonic journey that is as cerebral as it is visceral, defying easy categorisation while remaining unmistakably Zu.
Today they share the track “Golgotha”, about which Massimo says: “Once upon a time, the stars spoke to men, but now cosmic destiny brings a silence. Silence in which lies what men say to the stars. Man radiates atmospheres and is in continuity with the cosmos. These are atmospheres of colour and atmospheres of sound. What we radiate is colour and sound. And the cosmos listens. The return of what it incessantly gives to the earth”.
Watch the video for “Golgotha” below.
The trio – Paolo Mongardi (drums, percussion), Luca T Mai (baritone saxophone, synth, keyboards) and Massimo Pupillo (electric bass, 12-string acoustic guitar) – spent a year refining this sprawling 80-minute epic through relentless rehearsals and live studio recordings in Bologna. Produced and mixed by three-time Grammy-winning engineer Marc Urselli, known for his work with Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, and Mike Patton, the album balances raw intensity with refined production tweaks and textures.
“We are very spiritually-oriented people”, says Massimo. “Machines and AI do not have spirituality. So they can mimic and they can assemble existing things, but they cannot create. That spirit is probably the most important thing that our music carries”.
Set for release in January 2026, “Ferrum Sidereum” is Zu’s biggest and boldest statement yet that challenges all conventional boundaries. Uncompromising, innovative, fiercely original.
Tracklist:
1. Charagma
2. Golgotha
3. Kether
4. A.I. Hive Mind
5. La Donna Vestita Di Sole
6. Pleroma
7. Fuoco Saturnio
8. The Celestial Bull and The White Lady
9. Hymn of the Pearl
10. Perseidi
11. Ferrum Sidereum
Zu is a strange beast… officially born in Ostia, on the sea of Rome Italy in 1997, the band has released more than 15 albums and played thousands of shows all over the world, gaining a near-cult status worldwide.
Always boundary-blurring, Zu has evolved a unique musical language following its own personal path. Fusing metal, noise, prog, electronic music, ambient, industrial, and contemporary music, are transformed and reshaped in their unique form, resembling none of the above.
In the last 20+ years, they have collaborated with a wide array of artists, including their notable collaboration with Mike Patton on the Carboniferous album, to acclaimed theatre director Romeo Castellucci and his Societas Raffaello Sanzio. They have released albums on labels such as Ipecac Recordings and (Ulver-curated) House Of Mythology on which they published an experimental trilogy: “Jhator” (2017), “Zu93 – Mirror Emperor” (2018), “Terminalia Amazonia” (2019).
In 2024 they presented a vinyl reissue of “Bromio” (their first work from 1999), followed by “The Lost Demo”, a sort of legendary testimony of their debuts dated 1996, both on the roman label Subsound Records.
Still in 2024 a “natural” partnership was born with another cult band from the other side of the ocean: the iconic Japanese noise rock band Ruins, performing as RuinsZu. With Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins) on drums they set off on a one-month European tour. This has resulted in a live album to be released in 2025 for Subsound Records.
Weblinks:
www.zuism.net
www.facebook.com/vajrazu
