Labels: Rise Above
Review by: Alex Deller
Even if you went into this release blind (teehee!) you might still have a fair guess as to what a band fixating on Amando de Ossorio’s classic zombie Templar quadrilogy might sound like. If you were thinking Hooded Menace-style doom mope then you were WRONG, but if you figured it for a Zombi-esque prog infusion dappled with Deathwaltz soundtrack vibes then well done you, have a gold star. Each of the tracks fixates on one film from the Blind Dead series, with the band adept at approximating the vibes that made the films (or at least three of ’em) so effective: a mix of slow-but-inevitable dread and dreamlike, low-level unease. Things are anchored in reality by loping basslines and deft percussive tricks, while kitsch FX and vintage synth notes serve as the smudged viewing glass through which another realm can be blurrily seen. Being a 12″ mini album it has its limits as a thoroughly immersive listening experience, but the results are creepily enjoyable and serve as a neat enough showcase as to what Zoltan have to offer.