Zodiac 68 is the brain child of Cardiff, UK based singer/songwriter Matt Dunn. The ‘band’ was started as a tribute, and is heavily influenced by grunge and alternative rock of the ’90s. It became an outlet for the heavier side of Dunn’s writing. This album is the follow up to 2022’s Sasquatch. As with the first album, his latest release Anonymous features guest appearances from Blaine Vogt (27 Dead, Crossing 13th, Groove Thief, One More Story). The eleven-song album was recorded in Dunn’s home studio. It was mixed and mastered by Marvin at Tide Studios, London.
This second album carries on where the first album left off but with added electronic elements. Anonymous also contains a few piano based ballads amongst the heavily riff based alt rock. Anonymous kicks things off with “Someone Else’s Eyes” which is a song about despair, guilt and regret. The tune starts with some echoing guitar and a catchy, moody melody. Layered on top later is some distorted guitar and a thick bass line. The most telling line from the verses comes in the second stanza, “Make my bed, here comes the end of mankind.” A peculiar juxtaposition - an everyday chore most of us do when we get up in the morning from last night’s rest, contrasted with an apocalyptic, albeit a rather dry and stoic statement. A great opening track that mixes grunge and dark, post-rock elements. “Blind” touches on themes of betrayal, loss of friendship and showing no remorse when someone gets “kicked when they’re down.” Musically, this song has an even catchier guitar melody and many great moments on the piano that get mixed in the song’s main melody. There’s something about this tune, at least on the verses, that reminds me of moody ’70s rock tunes. A couple of highlights to this track are the searing guitar solo and the extra backing vocals. Next is “Be My Moon” and this one is about reaching out for someone, asking them to “be my moon / be my sun / will you be the one / to take this heart and heal the wounds.” It opens with tender sounding piano and Dunn on vocals. The rhythm section comes in after the first verse, low and brooding. Another fantastic guitar solo can be heard here as well and it ends with a few chords on the piano. The next track asks, “Where Did Everything Go Wrong?” A song that deals with loss of a boyfriend/girlfriend, confusion as to why nothing good every lasts long, and time moving on - being the great equalizer, despite us humans not liking that fact one bit. This one has an electronic bent to it, with a heavy synth sound in the beginning. To me, this song’s style features prog-rock, hard rock, a little funk and all points in between. It reminds me of bands like Living Colour, Jane’s Addiction, maybe Red Hot Chili Peppers and King’s X. Moving on is the album’s title track - “Anonymous” and it talks about being just that - a person with no identity. “Bury me up to my neck and I stand alone / I stand alone” is about as dark as any lyrics get. I like Dunn mixing in the acoustic guitar on the verses and how that contrasts with the edginess of distortion and the song’s message. This one kind of reminds me of the grunginess of Alice In Chains with the more hard prog-rock sensibilities of bands like The Mars Volta. “In Your Hands” suggests that the hand that you were dealt in your life is in your hands. “What you want is in your hands my friend / And if you want me just reach out and take my hand.” Compared to most of the previous songs, this one offers hope, despite doubts we have as humans. The music overall, and how it develops right from the start, is absolutely fantastic! I loved how the drums sound, the catchy bass melody, the little bit of acoustic right before the chorus, the guitar solo, the piano - everything! I would recommend listening to this for sure. The words to “Everyone Who Saw You Run” has more mystery to it, lyrically. I think it’s about a friendship coming to an end and words that were left unsaid after a breakup. Dunn’s sings a little higher on this track and overall, his sound is softer and musical approach gentler. Guitars take a back seat for a bit (until the solo part of the song), while the piano and synths are more present. The lyrics to “Sorrow is Your Only Friend” are some of the darkest on the album - “I’m not thinking / Of what I can do to save me from myself.” They are also some of the most sparsely written, even minimalist, you might say. Musically, this song is part hard alt-rock, part funk and part spooky (an eerie sounding synth melody is played during the verses). “Without You” is about finding salvation and safety within the friendship / love / embrace of another. But Dunn also sings of that “other side of the coin” predicament, where he recognizes “With you I’m almost a better man” - I’m just not there yet. This one has a great, grunge rock hook on the guitar and plenty of energy. This one feels like it has all the classic ‘90s grunge/post-rock elements to it. The next tune is called “Even Now” which I think, is about realizing after all the crap and pain you’ve been through with a broken relationship, things have not gotten any better. A song about someone who hasn’t gotten over it. This track has a lot of great dynamics to it. To me, it sounds like it might have been Dunn’s most complex and hardest to write. Lastly, there is “Love is Something That I Can’t Feel.” A tune as sad as any song you might hear - I mean, really, this one’s a downer, but it does feature a beautiful melody. Zodiac 68 touches on real emotions - sadness, regret, sorrowfulness, mental pain, loneliness and wanting resolve through forgiveness. It mostly features Dunn singing at his piano, but then a dramatic mix of drums, electric guitars and strings come in about midway, finishing off the song with a powerful ending. With that said, this is a solid, well written follow up from Zodiac 68.
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