ZODIAC N BLACK — The Aftermyth (review)

ZODIAC N BLACK — The Aftermyth album cover Album · 2012 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
A necessary evil...

Genre: hard rock

The Aftermyth is the debut album from London hard rockers Zodiac N Black. The band was formed in 2010 and have stormed onto the hard rock scene with their groovy and slightly retro brand of hard rock right into the arms of reviewers who have showered the band with praise. And, you know what, I'll join the ranks of those reviewers, because I think that The Aftermyth is a brilliant debut from a band with lots of potential.

A basic feature of pretty much all the tunes on the album is a compelling groove that has to power to make you tap your feet and bang your head. At times, the grooves are so heavy that the music takes on an almost sludgy character, while at other times, it has a sort of darkened Aerosmith-meets-Living Colour funkiness to is, as is the case of, for instance "Only the Lonely". Another feature is the heavy bottom-rich bass which has almost the same quality to it as Geezer Butler's bass from the very early days of Sabbath. To this, add the slight introspective attitude of 90s alternative rock (as heard in the dark "The Joke Is On Us" and the heavy "A Necessary Evil") and generally catchy vocal melodies in the choruses, as well as blues-informed guitar solos. Some tracks, like 'Seems Lie Better Times', even have a sort of quasi-punky garage rock feel to them. One of the interesting things is the variation on this album. Each song is very focused and coherent, yet incredibly varied, and listening to one song is pretty much like listening to an entire album.

The production is kind of fuzzy, but I am sure that its intended, and it also adds an edge of real rock 'n' roll attitude. In any case, the production goes well together with the hard rocking music on the album, and it is indeed refreshing with a rough edged album in this day and age of pristine album productions.

The Aftermyth has everything that's good about rock music. It has the groove of Led Zeppelin. It has the darkness of Black Sabbath. It has the swagger of The Rolling Stones. It has the funk of Aerosmith. It has the aggression of Grand Funk Railroad. And it's all Zodiac N Black.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)
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