It’s always said to never judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you can’t help but do that. Admittedly, this was the case for me with Aussie five piece Zombie Motors Wrecking Yard (ZMWY). From the band name, to the album title, to the artwork on the sleeve, everything seemed to be leading me to conclude that this was to be some sort of dirty rock n’ roll record, with an emphasis on heavy, stoner style riffs and grooves. I’d say that whilst that impression was fairly accurate, there is also a lot more to the record than I initially expected.
Of course, some of the song titles couldn’t help but reinforce my first impression. The superbly dubbed “Galactic Motherfucker” is a simple, grooving march, with the palm muted chugs of the verse effectively setting up the heavier chorus. You could also probably guess that “Fight Fight Fight” is a pure adrenaline rush; with a Motörhead style instrumental body, gang vocals in the chorus and a doomy, grinding interlude that allows you to catch your breath before tossing you back into battle. However, behind the sneering, coarse veneer of it all, there is a fair amount of melody. It is not too overt, instead worked into the riffs rather than layered on top of them in the form of a guitar lick or lead. Even the vocals of Ran, gruff and gravelly as they are, possess that little bit of melodicism, so as to allow a certain amount of accessibility that doesn’t weaken the music overall. “Dead Smile” is the best example of this, with an irrestible riff backing an equally delectable vocal hook, and is the sort of sort track that could easily garner plenty of attention for the band. The slide guitar intro of “Roll n Burn” sees the band slip into a more reserved gear, with a bluesy, outback flavoured boogie and a bit of southern rock flair, whilst “Love for Speed” is an rollicking rock beast with a catchy chorus.
Supersonic Rock’n Roll is not an entirely smooth ride however. The album temporarily runs out of steam just after the halfway mark, with the combo of the eponymous track and “Bad Boy Benny”. The former never quite gets a solid grounding, feeling like it’s building to something that never comes, although I do think this could be a slow burner that hits you months down the line. “Bad Boy Benny” is a grubby, grimy take on the blues, with some neat, wah-infused instrumental textures, but it doesn’t grab you like the other songs on the album do. There is salvation in the final two numbers however, “God of No”’s Sabbathy intro riff leading to a straightforward bruiser that really lets loose in its final moments, whilst closer “Judas” is like a ’70s rock classic put through the ringer.
As far as debuts go, Supersonic Rock’n Roll is a pretty solid effort. ZMWY have crafted a fairly consistent record of abrasive yet palatable rock ‘n’ roll, with numerous good tracks flanked by a few great ones and a few not so great ones. Not bad for your first go at it, and there’s no reason why they can’t go on to produce bigger and better albums.
Rating: 7/10 – Decent, dirt ridden rock ‘n’ roll from down under.
Highlights: “Dead Smile”, “Love for Speed”, “God of No”
Supersonic Rock’n Roll is available worldwide on February 24th, via Napalm Records.
