Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction - We Are Volsung
Formed in 1985, Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction wasted no time perfecting their unique, hard, dirty sound and biker style image that was quickly adopted by many major acts of the day. The following year the signed to Polygram and quickly released the EP 'High Priest Of Love' and the album 'Tattooed Beat Messiah'. Co-headlining with Guns 'N' Roses on their World tour and performing with the likes of Iron Maiden in arenas and stadiums across North America, ZMATLR had arrived. After their bass player left to join The Cult, the band continued to play on. Shortly afterwards their long time drummer left. With the addition of 'The Cat' on drums and 'Jack Shitt' on bass, the band are back sounding as heavy with attitude as they ever did.
From the album opener 'We Ride' the snarling vocals of Zodiac Mindwarp and the dirty guitar of Cobalt Stargazer drive the solid rhythm section of Jack Shitt on bass and The Cat on drums. The dirty rock theme continues with 'Stark Von Oben', more driving riffs, crazed guitar break and raunchy vocals relating the story inspired by northern mythology.
.
The slower 'Kill Me A Mockinbird' drives relentlessly along and reminds me a lot of 'The Torture Never Stops' by Frank Zappa; it's almost anthemic in it's delivery. If you thought it couldn't get dirtier, the more up tempo riffs of 'Tree Rider' will tell you differently. Here, the vocals are much gruffer and the pounding drums and sing along chorus hold it very nicely together.
'We Are Volsung' is a heavy rock track with addictive chorus and has a nice affected guitar break. 'Don't Touch My Guitar' follows in this vein, the guitar riff not being as distorted and the vocal backing harking back to late 70s/early 80s glam rock; again, some very competent lead guitar work here.
'Die Pretty', 'Lucille' and White Trash' all follow a very familiar pattern of steam hammer riffs and swaggering vocals. Finally, the album closer, 'Key to Your Heart', starts off slower and quieter but soon develops into yet another piece of dirty rock n roll.
An album of dirty, snarling, riff-laden rock 'n' roll full of pounding rhythms and relentless energy