ZenarchY is a studio project by David Robertson and David Jack of Edinburgh, UK. They’ve previously played in the bands Magicdrive, Mogwai and Iglomat. Songs were tracked in both professional and home studios with a mixture of virtual and vintage instruments. They get help on the drum kit from Jeff Hallam on four of the eight tracks.
ZenarchY explains that their self-titled album ZenarchY was an attempt to sonically "…recreate the feeling of listening to classic epic rock like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, Queens of the Stone Age and Jellyfish, but with contemporary production values.” They’ve set a high bar for themselves: no one can argue that albums by Floyd, Zeppelin, or Queen are anything but production master works. If by “contemporary production values” they mean they have access to more tracks and processors via computer-based recording, those changes aren't necessarily improvements. What I hear is a homegrown attempt to emulate those artists’ sounds. While it often hits the mark, Roy Thomas Baker and Jimmy Page won’t be losing their producing crowns any time soon. That bit of hubris aside, ZenarchY has produced an album to be proud of. Their influences are obvious but not reductive; you can’t help but go along for the ride. The songs may remind you of your favorite rock or metal artists (I’m adding Soundgarden and Blue Oyster Cult) but they easily stand on their own. “Feel The White Flame” serves as the album’s overture, so to speak. Glorious introductory chords lead into a hardcore riff which almost exactly mirrors “Let The Sky Fall” by Ten Years After. Hard rock-style vocals wail along but are pushed WAY back in the mix. Regardless, I already like where these guys are going. “(Drinking the) Kool Aid” features leisurely feedback riffing with fairly monotone vocals that sometimes conjure up AC/DC. “You want to stand in line," they sing. "You want to bow and scrape / just like drinking the Kool Aid.” The allusions to the Jim Jones suicide cult are chilling, even with the sweet fuzz harmonics on display. “Toe The Line” is the first of many songs that show the influence of Black Sabbath in both the vocals and in their slow fuzz riffing; think back to the deadly cadences of “Iron Man.” There’s an unexpected addition of early Genesis mellotron in the middle section, before slamming back in with some John Lennon “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” circular fuzz picking. “The Kingdom” is a shorter ditty that evokes Blue Oyster Cult in their "dark romance” mode. “Yellow Sign/Empty Hand” borrows the Zeppelin “Dazed and Confused” March Of The Dinosaurs template, including a fast middle section. The lyrics are appropriately creepy. The final track “Taco Shell” begins with start-stop fuzz riffs with more unsettling lyrics: “Like sand in the bedsheets / like nails on a board / like a frog in the blender / Or the lump you ignore / Stuffed and broken like a taco shell.” The song then introduces those Beatles descending Leslie guitar chords so prominent on Abbey Road, and obviously cherished by these guys. None of these songs are going to change the world like their antecedents did, but I found this album totally enjoyable from start to finish. I also love the cover concept, which appears to be a silent movie still tinted to look like a newly created photo.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|