PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
North Wales quartet return to pull the strings, delivering an album of pure quality.
One of the most hotly awaited albums on the Welsh rock scene is about to see the light of day, so we thought we best check out what all the fuss was about by grabbing a copy.
Zebedy have that enviable quality of being able to cross musical genres almost at will, marrying the raw Indie sound with crushing Metal riffs and progressive elements to great effect, making this a really captivating listen and one that will remain firmly planted on my turntable for months to come.
Opening with the beautifully atmospheric and dreamlike ’To Whom It May Concern’ the band kick the whole thing off in just the right way before launching into the epic and sometimes eclectic ’Running Thin’, displaying a wonderful change of tempos and mood throughout the six minutes of its playing time.
Musically, if you’re not familiar with the band, think Biffy Clyro mixed with a bit of Funeral For A Friend and the hard edged riffs of bands like Killswitch Engage and you’re on the right track, however, Zebedy display plenty of originality, craft and talent to make the sound their own. ’The Greatest Cause’ being a prime example of how the band project themselves.
All four members have put in a shift and a half on this album, no more so than on my personal favourite track ’Glass Cage’, ten plus minutes of pure emotion and uplifting melody that had me screaming the vocals aloud in tandem with frontman Jonny whilst dusting down the old air guitar and grabbing the imaginary drum sticks to create my own private version of the band. Other tracks that you should be taking notice of include ‘You Can’t Fake It’ with its thunderous riff and drum sound, the beautiful but painfully short, piano led ‘Silver Strings’ that serves to lead seamlessly into the title track, the immense and hauntingly beautiful ‘Stitches’ with a vocal performance (both lead and backing) that is nothing short of faultless and album closer ‘Post Script’ with its kick ass bass lines to name but a select few.
Zebedy have created something quite beautiful and precious in ‘Marionette’, an album that will satisfy most rock fans for sure but in a sense it is so much more than that, think of it as a musical journey across a vivid and varied landscape, one to be remembered and enjoyed for a long time to come. Highly recommended.
Rating 9/10.
Track Listing;
1. To Whom It May Concern.
2. Running Thin.
3. Histories.
4. The Greatest Cause.
5. World Outside.
6. Glass Cage.
7. Still Water.
8. You Can’t Fake It.
9. Grey To Gold.
10. Silver Strings.
11. Marionette.
12. Stitches.
13. What Lies Beneath.
14. Post Script.
Zebedy are;
Jonny Harding-Smith – Guitar and Vocals.
Dave Harding-Smith – Bass and Vocals.
Tom Dyson – Drums and Vocals.
Ben Chamberlain – Guitar and Vocals.
Marionette is set for release on the 1st of April through Amazon, I-Tunes and via the band link below.
http://www.facebook.com/zebedymusic
http://zebedymusic.bigcartel.com/
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QN-cOYIA4c&w=560&h=315]
