The one thing that I wonder about Zozobra is how they were able to get on Hydra Head. The style of music that they play on tracks like “The Blessing” is pure stoner meets gruinge rock. One hears hints of early Tool, Alice in Chains, and Temple of the Dog in “Harmonic Tremors”. This is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but the approachability of the band is far beyond the typical Hydra Head fare. The intensity that Zozobra brings to this disc is off the chart, and individuals will be taken away by the rich instrumentation and smart arrangements that the band creates for each and every song on this disc. Thus, a track like the aforementioned “The Blessing” can be on the long side of five minutes and still have everyone that put on the disc eating out of the band’s hands.
The brutality achieved by Zozobra increases exponentially during “Kill and Crush”. Where the opening track painted the band one way, “Kill and Crush” gives a much different tint to the band. The stoner rock is lessened substantially, allowing for metal-influenced guitar lines to be united by a gritty, screaming set of vocals. Zozobra creates a more brooding and dark sound with “Levitate”, which has the added bonus of having arrangements present that make listeners confused. It seems at any moment that Zozobra could break into an intense blend of guitar and drums, but this does not occur on the track. The band instead opts for a track that gives individuals a third iteration of what Zozobra is, and the band yet again succeeds. Quite the Protean act, Zozobra is able to blend dungeon metal with a Sourvein-like sound to come up with something that is new.
The disc is some of the best thirty-seven minutes of music that can be dug up. The band is able to pull different influences from the most random places (psychedelia during “Soon To Follow”, for example), and they never sound as if they are merely trying to adopt styles to sell albums. Zozobra will never be the darlings of mTV, but the dark but furious style of “Harmonic Tremors” means that individuals should pick up this album in spades; I cannot give anyone a good idea where the band will go after this album, but “Harmonic Tremors” is a milestone for this genre. Pick It Up.
Top Tracks: Silver Ghost, Kill and Crush Rating: 7.0/10
[JMcQ]
Zozobra Harmonic Tremors CD Review
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