Zozobra
Harmonic Tremors
7.5
Harmonic Tremors is the first output from Zozobra, a new outfit featuring members of Cave In and Old Man Gloom, and offers up a blend of indie rock and heavier styles that should be right up the alley of fans of those bands. These guys are fresh off a tour with Isis and Jesu, and although they might be lumped by default alongside bands of this sort, Zozobra is in fact a different type of beast. It’s true that these bands all straddle metal/hardcore and melodic, indie sensibilities, but Zozobra take a much different approach, in that their songs are shorter, more uptempo, and have little to do with the rise and fall dynamics or droning lushness associated with Isis, Jesu and the like. In truth, although Zozobra (like Cave In), should be a band of interest to metal fans, their sights really seem to be set more directly on the indie crossover crowd.
Harmonic Tremors serves up ten tracks of smart, genre-bridging songs that should appeal to a wide cross section of listeners. A typical post-hardcore roar is counterbalanced by comfortable, effective clean lead and back up vocals. A fat, resin-coated bass sound complements guitar work that alternates dirty punch with quirky melody. The album puts its heavy foot forward with the opening duo of "The Blessing" and "Kill and Crush", but makes a marked transition toward less predictable waters with the odd but accessible rumbling gait of "Levitate". Part of Harmonic Tremors’ charm is in its ability to stick and move, shifting closer to and further from specific genres and conventional strategies. The lo-fi "Silver Crest" could easily be an adaptation of an early basement track from indie goddess PJ Harvey. The syncopated percussion, thick loping bass, and electronic elements in "The Vast Expanse" lend the track a vague, de-clawed Ministry feel, and the blissful vibe continues on the follow up song, the bleary-eyed and airy "Caldera".
It won’t set your world afire, but Harmonic Tremors is a sure bet (and old news) for the Cave In devoted, and a worthy exploration for fans that don’t mind some indie ethos in their heavy music.
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