▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Zero Down ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: No Limit to the Evil █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-12-28 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Minotauro Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ With four full-length albums under their belt █
█ since 2005, you'd think Seattle metallers Zero █
█ Down would be on our radars a little more often. █
█ But the first few tracks of their brand new effort █
█ "No Limit to the Evil" reveals the issue regarding █
█ their popularity... █
█ The excellent cover art, by classic metal artist █
█ Ed Repka, would imply that this disc would contain █
█ 40 minutes of nu-thrash madness. This only █
█ heightens the disappointment felt upon first █
█ listen. This is heavy metal done pure and simple. █
█ For that, I commend them - I respect any band who █
█ eliminate unnecessary bells and whistles in order █
█ to focus their sound more directly. Unfortunately, █
█ Zero Down sound like they really could do with █
█ some more bells and whistles to grab the attention █
█ of those who have been bored senseless by song █
█ after song of generic, mid-tempo stomping. █
█ Okay, firstly, the pros: The production on the █
█ stringed instruments is an absolute pleasure - a █
█ nice rounded bass sound provides ample support for █
█ a simple, mellow guitar tone. The drums are █
█ definitely far too low in the mix, and the █
█ vocals...well, we'll get to them later. The █
█ gang-vocals employed by the rest of the band are █
█ nothing if not fun, and definitely enliven the █
█ blander parts of songs like "Suicide Girl" and █
█ "Devil's Thorn". The riffs, whilst mind-numbingly █
█ simple, at least contain enough energy to awaken █
█ that primal feeling which plagues most metalheads, █
█ forcing the listener to rhythmically nod in █
█ respect (opening riff to "Steve McQueen" █
█ especially). █
█ The cons? Hmm. 'Generic' really is the key word █
█ here. You are hearing nothing that hasn't already █
█ been done infinitely better by the likes of Saxon █
█ or Accept orà every NWoBHM band ever. "No Limit to █
█ the Evil" is a collection of meandering, mid-tempo █
█ rockers which rarely turn the volume up past 6 or █
█ 7. It's not awful! But it's so average, it hurts. █
█ Would it really have killed them to quicken the █
█ pace a little? Or even slow it down further? █
█ Variety is the spice of life, and this about as █
█ spicy as cream cheese. █
█ Now then, Mark Hawkinson's vocals... It appears █
█ that 70% of the time he is perfectly capable, █
█ tuneful, and in control. This is majorly let down █
█ by those times where he attempts falsetto, and █
█ just crosses the border into 'Embarrassment-land'. █
█ His lyrics are, to put it bluntly, stupid: "Blah █
█ blah blah BEER. Blah blah blah METAL. Blah blah █
█ blah WOMEN." Yawn. █
█ If you really feel you should persevere with this █
█ band - then look into their earlier releases. They █
█ are at least packed with far more variety than "No █
█ Limit to the Evil". There definitely are █
█ highlights, such as the energetic "Phantom Host" █
█ and the brilliantly-titled "Two Ton Hammer" - but █
█ they are disappointingly eclipsed by the carnival █
█ of boredom that surrounds them. Better luck next █
█ time, chaps. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Return of the Godz 5:18 ░
░ 2. No Limit to the Evil 3:39 ░
░ 3. Devils Thorn 4:14 ░
░ 4. Cold Winters Night 3:28 ░
░ 5. Leche di Tigre 4:09 ░
░ 6. Phantom Host 3:55 ░
░ 7. Suicide Girl 3:34 ░
░ 8. Steve McQueen 4:09 ░
░ 9. Two Ton Hammer 3:10 ░
░ 10. Black Rhino 3:38 ░
░ 39:14 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░