Album Archives- Z

Zeromancer (Industrial Rock)

Sinners International (2/4)- 2009

Sinners International is a huge disappointment, especially considering the band’s promising direction with Zzyzx. Many fans were taken aback by the band’s more experimental sound with that album, and as a result Zeromancer has released what is little more than a failed attempt to recreate Eurotrash.

 

Zimmers Hole (Progressive/Thrash Metal)

When You Were Shouting at the Devil… We Were in League with Satan (3/4)- 2008

Zimmers Hole have created an album that is about as awesome as you would expect an album called When You Were Shouting at the Devil… We Were in League with Satan should be. If you not find that funny, then you’re probably not a metalhead, and therefore not the audience that Zimmers Hole would appeal to. However, as far as quality thrash metal goes, When You Were Shouting at the Devil… is damn good. Add in a great sense of humor, highlighted in cuts “The Vowel Song” (featuring the animated Nathan Explosion from Dethklok) and “We Rule the Fucking Land,” and you have an album that is far more than just a poor man’s Strapping Young Lad. Oh, and Gene Hoglan is still one of the best drummers in metal.

 

Zion I (Rap/Hip-Hop)

True & Livin’ (3.5/4)- 2005

Underground rap is about more than just deviating from the mainstream. There is a distinct raw sound to underground that no matter how famous an artist gets, cannot be taken away. Zion I may be rapping some more famous guests, but their grimy production, long verses, and poignant lyricism make them the epitome of underground. True & Livin’ is an album that stays true to the raw sound Zion I established with their first two records, and as such the actual rhyming becomes the focus. The choruses are few in number and often forgettable, but Zumbi delivers what are easily his greatest and most passionate verses to date, and he’s aided by some fantastic guest emcees, all of which put equal importance on their lyrics and message.

 

The Take Over (2.5/4)- 2009

The Take Over is a mixed bag of an experimental album, both in terms of lyrics and production. Brother Ali delivers an outstanding verse on “Cage Bird, Pt.1,” but the actual duo of Zion I only seems to show up on half of the album.