The City Of Sun is the impending new full-length from Badger state brutalists, ZEBRAS. Set for officially detonation via Secret Records next week, today Tonemadison.com spews forth second track, “The Turning Of The Bones” for public intoxication.
Featuring within their riotous ranks members of Those Poor Bastards and Call Me Lightning (French Kiss/Revelation Records), ZEBRAS manifests a strangulating sound of contempt and disease; A raucous brand of battering, stripped down, punk-infused metal made of huge drums, huger amps, bowel shaking bass, chainsaw guitars, and head-imploding screams, backed by the vexing tales of the occult, ancient texts, and lesser known military operations.
The City Of Sun serves as the the follow-up to their self-titled debut, which Heavy Mental dubbed, “a mindless moment of bravery; psycho,” and Sonic Abuse crowned, “irredeemably, spectacularly horrid.” The album was recorded at Howl Street Recordings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by drummer Shane Hochstetler (Call Me Lightning, Multiple Truths, Haymarket Riot, Enabler etc.) and mastered by Carl Saff (Pencil, Lustre King, Windmills By The Ocean etc.) in Chicago, Illinois.
Comments the band of latest teaser track, “The Turning Of The Bones,” “It’s about getting old and sick and suffering a slow death. There’s nothing you can do about that but you can consider various death rituals from different cultures. Tibetan sky burials, the Buddhist Monk’s self-mummification, or Famidihana (‘the turning of the bones’), where your friends and family dig you up after seven years of rotting so they can dance with your bones.”
Elaborates Tonemadison.com, “Guitarist/vocalist Vincent Presley, who sang in a piercing yip in ZEBRAS‘ first incarnation, has lowered his voice to crusty, baying screams, and his riffs now balance twisty noise-rock figures with a deep rhythmic chug. Synth player Lacey Smith’s Moog has evolved from a spacey noise machine to a sludgier and more nimble bass instrument. But perhaps the most significant change is how much more Hochstetler… has integrated his drumming style into the band’s songs… Throughout The City Of Sun, you can hear Hochstetler’s toms rumbling to evoke a more conversational, swinging interpretation of precision death-metal pummeling,” furthering, “On ‘The Turning Of The Bones,’ ZEBRAS hit a lot more fiercely than I could have imagined them doing just a couple of years ago. Smith and Presley create a wall of low-end pestilence and Hochsteler’s snare scrambles up it, but the heaviness is also kinetic and dynamic. Smith’s synth bass part and Hochstetler’s drums work together to stir up crafty drag-and-sprint rhythms, and Presley’s vocals lurch against them with snarling spite.”
And if you missed it, check out opening punisher, “Hollow Earth” at THIS LOCATION.
ZEBRAS was initially forged in 2007 and often likened to Dead Kennedys, Lard, and various Am Rep bands before honing their own perverse brand of heaviness. Since pairing with Shane Hochstetler, the band has shelved all prior material, had a complete gear overhaul, and considers themselves an entirely new outfit. Their self-titled LP was a mix of newer songs with older, now abandoned numbers and reaped praise from underground outlets both stateside and abroad. Their latest offering finds the new and improved ZEBRAS completely emerged into all things heavy and sounds miles away from where they left off in 2012. ZEBRAS has shared bills with the likes of Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, High On Fire, Negative Approach, Black Flag, Goatwhore, Die Kreuzen, Melt Banana, Poison Idea, Atlas Moth, Northless, Lo-Pan, DRI, and will return to the stage later this month alongside Melt Banana, Torche and Hot Nerds. In September, the band will open shows with Old Man Gloom and Mare in Chicago and DRI and Population Control in Madison with future live abrasions to be announced in the weeks to come. Stand by.
ZEBRAS Live Abrasions:
7/14/2015 The High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI w/ Melt Banana, Torche, Hot Nerds.
9/06/2015 The Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL w/ Old Man Gloom, Mare
9/23/2015 The Frequency – Madison, WI w/ DRI, Population Control
The City Of Sun will be released on CD and digitally on July 14th, 2015 and on limited edition vinyl September 22nd, 2015. The wax version will come in two color variants: 400 black vinyl copies and 100 special hand-numbered preorder copies on color vinyl plus downloads.
“Funneling pure punk hardcore saccharine into the sweaty machine that is ZEBRAS, the band’s sophomore album ups the ante of pushing to the limits of time and style. The guitar structure sends as many people into a head banging fury as there are pit jumpers. ‘Hollow Earth’ is that battle cry that will get your attention. Forget the warm up, start running because it is nonstop all the way through. The City Of Sun is simply riot inducing and will pump up your circulation with the adrenaline this band possesses. Add a well-oiled production and mastered release and you will hear a hardcore album at the top of its element.” – Selective Memory
