Ghost In The Machine
Sometimes bands from the most unlikely places can have the best sounds. From the word go, French metallers Zuul FX have a sound that very few bands have these days. Having roots from French thrash metal band No Return and Swiss electro metal group Rain, Zuul FX take the sounds of the late 90's industrial metal like Static X, Fear Factory and Slipknot to a new level.
Released on the French label Equilibre Music, By The Cross churns out some anti-social metal with double bass drumming to boot.
Nothing is Real has enough bass and groove to impress Burton C. Bell and flips from almost haunting with its man-made melodies against the primal screams of vocalist Steevee. With its chilling piano intro Cabal is frighteningly deceptive with a pummelling down tuned blitzkrieg of riffing. Devil Star has some elements of Korn with loud and quiet dynamics.
Closing track Hypochrist (The Dogs Of God) blasts out a mutated version of Slipknot massacring Skinny Puppy with Trent Reznor looking on with a sick smile on his face.
Just when you thought industrial metal had shutdown, it had just rebooted itself. The whole sound of the album is very similar to Demanufacture era Fear Factory but By The Cross packs a bit more bite. Whilst some bands relying solely being heavy, Zuul FX employ some much-needed melody into a monstrous soundscape of pain.
It is not an original sound but it does with a great deal of justice anyhow.