Artist: Zoroaster
Title: Matador
Genre: Psychedelic Doom Metal
Release Date: 15th April 2011
Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Album Review
Seeing that ZOROASTER, a trio from Atlanta, plays Psychedelic Doom Metal I was greatly intrigued. I’m personally a big fan of Doom Metal but I’ve not strayed too much into the Psychedelic trend within it and especially not recently, this is also my first encounter with this particular band. So listening to ZOROASTER’s new album ‘Matador’ was piqued by curiosity and expectation from the start.
‘Matador’ is their third album and opens with a track entitled ‘D.N.R.’ (Do not resuscitate?), and right from here the fusion is pushing beyond each of its component’s genres. Doom heavy and intense, the psychedelic dimensions are curbed by it to not over-disorient whilst still giving an impression of being in an alternative state of being. Now with psychedelic music, there are two kinds - one that you have to be intoxicated to be able to get the most out of and the other - where you don’t have to be stoned out of your head to get a feel what it’s like to enter an alternative state of mind. Second in my opinion is the best of the kind and it’s definitely the case here. Your mind expands into new vistas and dreamily weird landscapes without having to be propelled by addictive chemicals. Can’t help feeling though that I’ve heard the main groove somewhere before or at least something similar (I’m thinking of KYUSS); maybe the sense of flashback is intended. After all, you’re invited into Goya’s painting here with his favourite theme of Matador, you’re the bull here, and you’re either going to nail the man or the man will have you. Good luck! It’s quite a journey...
In ‘Odyssey’ you can be Odysseus and be taunted by the musical world that throws obstacles in your way: cymbals, echoes, droning and delayed vocals, hypnotic bass lines, the ending which sounds like the band is drowning out in the sea but still playing. ‘Trident’ yields more aggression in the distorted vocal. There is something weirdly circular to the guitar till it emerges out, sounding surprisingly as if you’ve entered the room of classic rock. ‘Firewater’ though loses my interest somehow. I guess as it makes me feel sitting alone in a clinical thus empty room of a stranger’s house, feeling like an unwanted intruder or it’s just the feeling of absence that this song evokes for me, well for one with this song the vocals get a break and leave it to the instruments. The second part of ‘Odyssey’ is on the other hand the moment of the album I’ve enjoyed the most. It feels very contemplative, the strumming under the heavy atmosphere works just great, and the song rather stills me after having felt some discomfort, puts my pieces together after disembodying. The closing, album titled, ‘Matador’ starts with some great doom style drumming substantially into half of the song where the vocals are met with feedback and a groove as heavy as the sum of your sorrows.
A brilliant album that pushes the envelope all the way! It’s enticing and exciting enough to wait for the next journey into the fantastic soundscapes that ZOROASTER will hopefully offer in future as well as having ‘Matador’ in one’s collection.
Tracklist
01. D.N.R. – 6.25
02. Ancient Ones – 3.34
03. Odyssey – 5.37
04. Trident – 3.38
05. Firewater – 4.13
06. Old World – 7.03
07. Black Hole – 3.48
08. Odyssey II – 3.00
09. Matador – 7.33
Line-up
Will Fiore - Guitar, Vocals
Dan Scanlan - Drums
Brent Anderson - Bass, Vocals
Websites
www.myspace.com/thezoroaster
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 10
Total: 9.5 / 10
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