- Oct 22, 2006
- 142
- 0
- 16
Zero Hour – Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Sensory Records–763232303423- Out Now
By Dan Fisher
Zero Hour are progressive metal with a difference. The unique sound of Chris Salinas’ dischordant vocals, coupled with the machine-like repetition of the brothers Tipton on guitar and bass respectively, has gained the respect of many metal fans worldwide. With ’Specs of Pictures…’ the band are on good form with some beautiful progressive sections to tempt the listener while the production is kept crisp thoughout. The first two tracks are definitely the best on the album, ‘The Falcon’s Cry’ being my personal favourite. Salinas has a beautifully controlled delivery that makes even the high notes sound effortless. The drumming by Mike Guy is understated but organic, allowing other instruments to sit nicely in the mix without any rogue snares ratatating horribly through any of the songs (Lars Ulrich bow your head in shame). I seem to be increasingly finding that with progressive metal, the most interesting parts are the quiet, reflective sections before the metal onslaught. Listening to ’Specs of Pictures…’ I found myself thinking these sections sounded like ’The Boys Of Summer’ by Don Henley. No really.
My criticisms for the album are that the band play too many songs at a mid-tempo pace which begins to grow tedious. Tipton’s riffing also sounds very similar in most of the songs. Whether there is some reason behind the reoccurring musical theme is unknown but I would guess that it added to the already machine-like guitar and bass sound they were aiming for. I, unfortunately, thought that it detracted from the album towards the end and made the guitars seem bland. The worst track on the album, ironically, is the band’s self-titled song. It’s an instrumental, and if you buy this album I guarantee you’ll be skipping over this one after a couple of spins. Bands, heed this: don’t write songs and then name them after your band!
In conclusion, Zero Hour hit with some force but also can be slightly annoying with the inclusion of a couple of sub standard tracks to fill up the album. ’Specs of Pictures…’ has achieved a sense of atmosphere that others fail to capture and so I would chalk this up as a pretty good, but not brilliant album with some obvious flaws.
Official Zero Hour Website
Official Sensory Records Website
Sensory Records–763232303423- Out Now
By Dan Fisher
Zero Hour are progressive metal with a difference. The unique sound of Chris Salinas’ dischordant vocals, coupled with the machine-like repetition of the brothers Tipton on guitar and bass respectively, has gained the respect of many metal fans worldwide. With ’Specs of Pictures…’ the band are on good form with some beautiful progressive sections to tempt the listener while the production is kept crisp thoughout. The first two tracks are definitely the best on the album, ‘The Falcon’s Cry’ being my personal favourite. Salinas has a beautifully controlled delivery that makes even the high notes sound effortless. The drumming by Mike Guy is understated but organic, allowing other instruments to sit nicely in the mix without any rogue snares ratatating horribly through any of the songs (Lars Ulrich bow your head in shame). I seem to be increasingly finding that with progressive metal, the most interesting parts are the quiet, reflective sections before the metal onslaught. Listening to ’Specs of Pictures…’ I found myself thinking these sections sounded like ’The Boys Of Summer’ by Don Henley. No really.
My criticisms for the album are that the band play too many songs at a mid-tempo pace which begins to grow tedious. Tipton’s riffing also sounds very similar in most of the songs. Whether there is some reason behind the reoccurring musical theme is unknown but I would guess that it added to the already machine-like guitar and bass sound they were aiming for. I, unfortunately, thought that it detracted from the album towards the end and made the guitars seem bland. The worst track on the album, ironically, is the band’s self-titled song. It’s an instrumental, and if you buy this album I guarantee you’ll be skipping over this one after a couple of spins. Bands, heed this: don’t write songs and then name them after your band!
In conclusion, Zero Hour hit with some force but also can be slightly annoying with the inclusion of a couple of sub standard tracks to fill up the album. ’Specs of Pictures…’ has achieved a sense of atmosphere that others fail to capture and so I would chalk this up as a pretty good, but not brilliant album with some obvious flaws.
Official Zero Hour Website
Official Sensory Records Website
