Zero   (Self Released)

 These guys from the US (New York to be precise) has an honest and uncompromised musical approach worthy of all our attention. They play some kind of groovy Stoner/Doom Metal/Rock… let say they just play Metal… OK? Their music reminds me immediately the sound of Ironlung… does anyone remember Ironlung? …the band of Josh Barohn (ex Suffocation/Autopsy)? …Anyway, this band sound like them, but more varied and dark, with a wider range of influences, from Garage/Grunge Rock, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal to Death Metal and Old School Metal in general, but of course the sound of Black Sabbath (Gods) seems to be their main influence. The guitar work is low, mid paced, and heavy as a ten tons hammer, with high doses of groove in its performance and some doomish elements in the melodies, with some good rocking lead guitar lines. The bass is demolishing; it adds the necessary profundity to the music and the obligatory low overloaded sound (by the way, this cd will destroy your speakers…). The drum sounds immense and magnificent; it plays at slow to mid paced velocities, simple, heavy, rocking and effective. The voices are mostly clean and rocking with some visible hints of Lane Stanley (Alice In Chains), but with some extreme vocalisations, like shriek and growls here and there, as a reaffirmation of their dark posture. “Zero” is a groovy and rocking piece of Metal, there are variations enough to differentiate this band from the millions of Stoner/Doom Metal bands, they aren’t reinventing anything; they just took elements from many different styles and mixed up to get an unique result. So if you want a taste of good uncompromised heavy music… Agnosis will not disappoint you… (AP)