Hey Pizza! Records/I Buy Records, 1 December 2020
Zoanoids debut full length finally arrives. It was worth the wait.
Zoanoids have a bunch of buzz about them. I reviewed their first single (“Biollante’s Revenge”) and spent much of 2020 anticipating this self-titled debut full length. I even had it penciled in on my favorite 10 of the year list, anticipating that it might end up making it in when it officially dropped (and based on how brain blown I was by the couple of teaser singles and a previously released demo). Alas, it was not to be. While the listed release date was 1 December 2020, the new record didn’t go live until the first full week of the new year and my vinyl copy didn’t arrive until 7 January.
Zoanoids was worth the wait. Back when I first heard “Biollante’s Revenge”, I mentioned The Lillingtons and listening to the full length, I haven’t changed my mind. It’s loaded with subtle and memorable melodies and hooks, all sorts of pulverizing power, and cryptic sci-fi lyrics. And it’s pulled off with a distant cool that feels cold and nihilistic and matter-of-fact. But the songs! Geez, these songs are great. Opener “Teenage Werewolf” hooks with a catchy cadence and singalong chorus that sticks close and the guitar riff on the chorus of “Time of Judgment” is new and familiar and addictive all at once. On the back half, “Indifference” digs into a rhythmic hook before running off with a cool vocal melody and a fantastic bass line. “Arms of Ahriman” and “Overlord” are both cryptic mid-tempo hook-fests, with “Ahriman” working in great “whoa-oh” backing vocals, a melodic bassline, and maybe my favorite out-of-this-world guitar lead on the record, and “Overlord” coming through with a tremendous melody on the verse and great repeated ascending “overlord” backing vocals on the chorus. “Innsmouth” has a vocal melody that won’t get out of my brain and a guitar arpeggio that haunts and hooks and “She’s Not a Deep One” has a bounce to it that pops. And maybe my favorite, lead single “Biollante’s Revenge” has all sorts of pace, pulverizing drums, and a cool single-note lead guitar that descends into the abyss. None of its pure pop, but its dark punk with loads of pop hooks and memories.
All of Zoanoids reeks of cryptically destructive dark power and hooks, but sometimes the band revels in a nihilistic thrash that is tightly wound and chaotic all at once – favoring pure power over hooks. Songs like “Michigan” and “Driving” thrash and pummel with lightning-quick kicks on both and a massive hook on the half-timed “Michigan” chorus. Elsewhere, “Directive: Solbrain” beats up your brain in a pounding thrash and “Spheres” chugs darkly from a cave before exploding into the light on the chorus with a melodic hold-the-note hook on the chorus and a threatening guitar lead. And mid-album, Zoanoids hit with the instrumental “Dos Fuertes”. This one comes out as a mid-tempo stomper with a cool back-and-forth guitar riff before going bonkers into fantastic lead guitars that sound like someone falling into a chaotic downward spiral. It’d work equally well soundtracking a killing spree scene in a film or a LSD-inflicted psychotic break. And while they do lean hard into tightly wound dark power on these songs, none of them are devoid of hooks, either. It just seems like pulverizing is more of the point on these five.
I had super high expectations for Zoanoids and thankfully the record hits them. Zoanoids has set the bar high for 2021, and no more than a week in. The record is damaged and catchy and mysterious in all the right ways and is certainly one to check out. Highly recommended.
Favorite song: “Biollante’s Revenge” (or maybe “Teenage Werewolf”; or maybe “Michigan” – I don’t know, it seems like it’s shifting day-to-day and listen-to-listen)
Favorite moment: the lead guitar on “Arms of Ahriman”; or maybe backing vocals on the chorus of “Overlord”; again, there’s a bunch
Favorite whatever else: I love the cover; rarely have I seen a cover that so clearly represents the music on the record
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
