This is the email I received from Earsplit to promote the new ZH. Part of my review is being quoted along with an excerpt from Heavy Oder Was.
The new Zero Hour is upon us! In support of the new album Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond, the highly-revered prog-masters have announced a small South-to-East Coast tour beginning later this month, and are also currently lining up interviews.
Mastermind Jasun Tipton will be available for phone interviews beginning next week. The first batch of times are as follows:
[all times EST]
Monday 10/23, from 1 PM to 4 PM
Tuesday 10/24, from 1 PM to 9 PM and 10 PM to 1 AM
Wednesday 10/25, from 1 PM to 6 PM
Get in touch with Earsplit with requests for these times; more slots will be available later, and email interviews are a go as well.
The tour begins next week and goes through mid-November.
10/28 Houston, TX - FBI Rock Club
11/04 Baltimore, MD - Onion Sound Studios w/ Suspyre
11/05 Metuchen, NJ - NJ Proghouse
11/09 Worcester, MA - Lucky Dog Music Hall w/ Odin's Court
11/11 Springfield, VA - Jaxx w/ Odin's Court
11/12 Brooklyn, NY - The Hook w/ Odin's Court, Enertia, The Void, Suspyre
Sensory/The Lasers Edge has put up a full-length version of the track "Evidence of the Unseen" for your listening pleasure. Check it out here: http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/sound.asp
"It seems I cannot praise this album enough, so I'll sum it up. This is the best release of the year. It has surpassed Vanden Plas' Christ 0 for me and found its place in Zero Hour's never-disappointing catalog." 5/5 - Sea of Tranquility
"Zero Hour is one of the most promising newcomers in the progressive metal underground. The mix of heavy riffs, atmospheric keyboards, brilliant clean vocals, complex song structure and metaphoric texts that hits the nerve of all fan of impressive metal, who counts bands such as Fates Warning, Sieges Even, Spiral Architect, Pain of Salvation or Dream Theater to their favourites."- Heavy Oder Was
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In 1993, almost everyone thought that metal was history. Guitarist Jasun Tipton and bassist Troy Tipton, twin brothers from the San Francisco Bay Area, did not succumb to these prevailing doubts. They believed that even through the darkest hour, metal would live on, and they set about forming a band that would not only keep progressive metal in a place of honor, but would shatter the mold in the process. And so in creating Zero Hour, the brothers envisioned a dark, heavy, emotional vibe, expressed through intricate arrangements, forceful vocals, and meaningful lyrics.
Zero Hour self-financed their first release which established the group as a prog-metal tour de force upon its issuance in 1998; an initial pressing of 2,000 units sold out quickly, leaving fans worldwide anxiously awaiting more Zero Hour material. The praises of the press flowed from around the globe, and the self-titled debut garnered raves from Flash (Italy), Snake Pit (Germany), Hard Roxx (UK), and many more. Michael Rensen of the premier German magazine Rock Hard proclaimed, "Zero Hour is one of the five Best Progressive Newcomers in the late '90s!"
The band's second album The Towers of Avarice (Released by The Laser's Edge/Sensory label) won sparkling reviews from nearly every magazine around the World it appeared. Such magazines included Hit Parader, Metal Maniacs, Bass Player and Sci Fi (US), Aardschok (Netherlands), Metal Hammer (Hungary), Rock Hard (Germany, France), Heavy Oder Was? (Germany), Scream (Norway), BW&BK (Canada), Hard Rock (France) and in countless webzines and fanzines. The band quickly established a solid fan base around the World. They successfully toured Europe and performed twice at Prog Power USA in Atlanta, the largest prog-metal music festival in the World.
Zero Hour is now fronted by vocalist Chris Salinas (formerly of Power of Omens). The new line up recorded 7 songs under the guidance of the eminently talented Producer/Engineer Dino Alden. Alden, having finished work on Marty Friedman's (Ex-Megadeth) newest solo album, gave the 7 songs an impressive professional shine. The album is titled Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond and is already being held as one the years most anticipated releases. The band will be hitting the road to promote the new album throughout the US and Europe. Jasun and Troy have also released their first instructional videos through Chops From Hell. The momentum of Zero Hour is stronger than ever as they continue to carve their name into prog-metal history
