Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Zero Hour
Label: Sensory Records
Released: 2006
With today’s flood of MTV “metal” bands, it’s almost hard to find a new, original metal act. One of those gems is undoubtedly California’s Zero Hour. True, Zero Hour aren’t a new band, far from it, they’ve been around since 1993, but I’ll admit I didn’t know them until now. With the first batch of albums for review, the editor caught my attention by saying they reminded him of Control Denied. Finger-licking good, then!
A little skeptical that they could really reach the greatness of Chuck Schuldiner, the mastermind behind Death and Control Denied, I pop the disc into the player… Bomb! An instant shot straight into the brain’s auditory center! Zero Hour are honestly something I’ve been looking for since the phenomenal The Fragile Art of Existence.
Zero Hour already turned heads with their self-titled debut in 1999, drawing in critics and progressive metalheads alike with a superb mix of Control Denied-style progressive metal, Bay Area thrash moves and the punch of the Florida school of death metal. After three records, the first singer, Erik Rosvold, left, but Fred Marshall filled the gap he left behind with ease, impressing with a wide range of vocal skills and even recalling the excellent Warrel Dane of Nevermore. Apparently he couldn’t keep up with the wild pace, though, and left the band right after A Fragile Mind. What now, the guys said, and Chris Salinas (formerly the vocalist of progressive band Power of Omens) landed in the band. It was a great move. I’ll even dare to say Salinas is the best vocalist the band has had so far, and I think a very bright future for this excellent progressive outfit hides right in him. But let’s take it from the top.
After the otherwise very good A Fragile Mind, Zero Hour’s path with the arrival of Chris Salinas swung back toward a more aggressive, heavier side. Where A Fragile Mind is dominated by heavy keyboards and more melodic vocal lines, the new record brings raw guitar lines back to the front, along with even more technical arrangements. With this step Zero Hour went back to their past, carrying on in the direction set by Metamorphosis and The Towers of Avarice.
With its technically unbelievable opening bass lines, Face the Fear carries us off into the realms of excellent, technically driven progressive metal. Troy’s chops wouldn’t embarrass even Steve DiGiorgio, the giant of metal bass. The trio of Jasun, Troy and Mike forms a superb instrumental base, and Salinas is the upgrade on top of it. In progressive metal it often happens that the vocals are there just because they have to be. Salinas more than successfully kills that habit. The guy is phenomenal. He shines in the high register, where you could draw parallels with the great Geoff Tate, and in the mid-range, where he proves to be a truly excellent singer. Not only does his incredibly wide range add to the dynamics of the instrumental foundation, and his powerful screams make your hair stand on end, Salinas also manages to create a strong atmosphere with calm, spoken and whispered parts, something we’re not used to in progressive metal. And it’s not just his vocals that Salinas showed off, he also wrote most of the lyrics.
The backbone of the band is surely the Tipton brothers, guitarist Jasun and bassist Troy, who definitely rank among the most technically gifted duos in metal. As the main songwriters, they prove they can write both progressively mind-bending songs and catchy tunes that would worm their way into the ears of even less demanding listeners. They show this above all in the excellent instrumental Embrace, which is mostly acoustic, topped with a simple but very effective line played on electric guitar.
If Embrace calms the record’s tempo down a bit after the first two tracks, the title track does exactly the opposite. At almost 8 minutes, Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond is certainly among the heaviest and most aggressive songs Zero Hour have written in their career. The Tipton brothers show themselves in their best light. A constant bombardment of staccato riffs, breathtaking arpeggios and supersonic solos, backed by sawing power chords… Masters of their craft!
Wondering why I haven’t mentioned Mike Guy’s drumming yet? Simple. It’s hard to find words for something like this. Guy really outdid himself and probably pulled out his best performance yet. Mike is a proper octopus behind the kit, his fills are technically outstanding, the rhythm is perfectly tight, not to mention you can barely hear any 4/4 timing. What’s especially impressive is that he doesn’t lean on kicking the bass drums as fast as possible, as tends to happen in death metal, but plays dynamic drums that use every part of the kit, from all kinds of cymbals to the toms.
Since after such mentally exhausting listening we really do need a rest, the acoustic ballad I Am Here offers it, right before the final blow with Evidence of the Unseen. When this record of almost three quarters of an hour ends, we have no choice but to hit Play again and give in to another listen. Even though it hits you right away, this is a record that needs repeated listens, because only then can we soak up all the layers of music the quartet has served us.
Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond is a magnificent web woven from the threads of the instruments of Jasun and Troy Tipton, Chris Salinas and Mike Guy. Let yourself get caught…
Lineup
Jasun Tipton: guitar
Troy Tipton: bass
Chris Salinas: vocals
Mike Guy: drums
Production
Dino Alden
Tracklist
1. Face the Fear (9:00)
2. Falcon’s Cry (8:00)
3. Embrace (Instrumental) (2:24)
4. Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond (7:35)
5. Zero Hour (Instrumental) (2:27)
6. I Am Here (4:58)
7. Evidence of the Unseen (8:44)
Running time: 43:12
