Zillah - Standing Next to Normal (Demo)
Independent Release - 2005
By Patrick Walsh
With a string of demo releases under their belts, Edinburgh's Zillah are now in a position to be considered serious contenders. Standing Next to Normal represents a a refining of the technical noisecore they've been plying since 2000. A brilliant rhythm section in the form of drummer Bob Storrie and bassist Janet Woods gives the whole thing a very professional air, and the off-kilter drum patterns often echo the wonderful Mastodon. The production on this demo is adequate, and it's nice to hear what the bassist is doing, although the guitars could certainly benefit from a little more venom. The songs themselves tend to jarr about the place in the spasmodic sort of way that's indicative of this genre, with riffs searing with abandon and occasional odd time-changes to add a bit of unpredictability to proceedings. Perhaps a little more inventiveness in the vocal department would serve to lift them further still above the glut of Hydra-Head clones doing the rounds, but Zillah are nonetheless more deserving of great things than most of their better known peers, and Standing Next to Normal is superb work for a demo. Surely a record deal can't be too far off the agenda at this stage?
8/10
Zillah's Official Website
Independent Release - 2005
By Patrick Walsh
With a string of demo releases under their belts, Edinburgh's Zillah are now in a position to be considered serious contenders. Standing Next to Normal represents a a refining of the technical noisecore they've been plying since 2000. A brilliant rhythm section in the form of drummer Bob Storrie and bassist Janet Woods gives the whole thing a very professional air, and the off-kilter drum patterns often echo the wonderful Mastodon. The production on this demo is adequate, and it's nice to hear what the bassist is doing, although the guitars could certainly benefit from a little more venom. The songs themselves tend to jarr about the place in the spasmodic sort of way that's indicative of this genre, with riffs searing with abandon and occasional odd time-changes to add a bit of unpredictability to proceedings. Perhaps a little more inventiveness in the vocal department would serve to lift them further still above the glut of Hydra-Head clones doing the rounds, but Zillah are nonetheless more deserving of great things than most of their better known peers, and Standing Next to Normal is superb work for a demo. Surely a record deal can't be too far off the agenda at this stage?
8/10
Zillah's Official Website
