27 August 2012

Zombies ate my girlfriend - Patient Zero




A pandemic and a parody
It’s cheerfully ironic that Zombies arrived to clean the cesspool of South African metal. Since Zombies entered the Western Cape scene, few were left with any doubt that we are in the presence of an enigma. With an affinity for extensive songs, integrating insane harmony between the guitars and the vocals there is simply no room for boredom. Aesthetically bringing an innovative project to the table, Patient Zero proceeds through a four-song journey to hell and back.

Adriano (an enigma himself) has led and developed the guitar sound of Zombies to a unique, dynamic level. Gavin on the vocals is simply an annihilation of screams. He engulfs the microphone with lows and highs, spewing intelligent lyrics that reduce the divide between music and poetry. About Louis (ex- Broken Result vocalist) nothing negative can be uttered: a late addition to the band, Louis has become diagnostic of the Zombies pandemic. Ex- Day Turns Night drummer Ferdi pounds the drums with such vengeance that respect for the mighty beast is immediately earned. With Wesley on bass, Zombies transcend the stale convention of only being good in studio, with their live shows bringing about a spectacle worth witnessing from the heavens.

Deathworm
Deathworm is so tasteful that even “God is getting jiggy with it”. Starting with exploding vocals and fast-paced drumming Deathworm creates a sif sound not for the faint of heart. At 02:30 one is invited to a succession of melody, before a massive detonation. With Ferdi pounding the drums with pin-point precision and unholy lyrics such as “your God is dead”, we have to bow before the monstrous importance of Zombies.

Whatever Forever
Whatever Forever starts with powerful drum variations and with the lyrics “if you can’t handle this, just kill yourself for fuck sake” you are immediately seduced into head-banging. By the end the words “all fair in love and war” is etched into your mind. Holistically, Whatever Forever is a satirical ‘go-fuck-yourself’. By 02:40 the drums and lead-guitar climax into an apocalyptic wasteland of chaos, swaying rhythms leading the way to an erogenous exhibition of what metal can deliver in South Africa.

Silent Night
Silent Night is my personal favourite. The intro’s vocals stand unmatched, built through a tower of sound. With biblical fierceness Zombies established a new rite – a carol for the damned. This song demands their just place as talented musicians who are able to create divine ecstasy.

Robert Carlyle
By contributing to the pandemic, Robert Carlyle rounds off the milieu of refined chaos. This song exposes their ability to create complex music, without falling into a cycle. The song comprises two unconventional tempos between the vocals and the rhythm of the guitars, making the diction different to other songs.

In essence
Zombies ate my girlfriend makes the shepherds shit themselves. After the trip to hell and back, one is left perplexed as to the array of sounds that have infested your brain. With a complex, refined sound it is incommensurable to gauge the seemingly endless potential of Zombies ate my girlfriend. Simply put a super-group – sharing a lot of talent and experience.