REVIEWS
Zodiac Killers-Most Thrilling Experience-Lethal Injection Zine
13 songs, twelve and a half minutes. Punk rock? I think so. The Zodiac Killers provide a pleasant reminder that punk rock doesn't require talent and good production. The Most Thrilling Experience is snotty as hell ñ grungy enough to satisfy all the crust-punks, but somehow, it's sounds good even if your favorite band isn't the Germs. In the short span from beginning to end, the songs manage to display the energy and rebellious son-of-a-bitch in all of us that punk rock allows to be exposed. Maybe it's the nonstop pounding rhythms that fly by through the album, or the sneering/yelling/chanting vocals, or even the occasional female vocals. The lyrics are straight-up middle finger songs, including "Somebody's Gettin' Screwed," "Come On and Die," and "Get Away," while "Feed It to Your Mom" strikes deeper than any weak yo-mama joke could do. These are the perfect anthems for the pissed-off, stressed out, fed up voice inside of you that's dying to get out. Add in the cheap, yet entertaining cover art, and a provocative name from an actual unsolved string of murders, and you'd never know this was a 1999 punk album if it weren't for the copyright date. This is exactly the stuff that kids twenty years ago began pogoing around their rooms to, and will have you singing along with the same spirit after a couple listens. If you haven't bought a punk album in five years because you can't stand today's bands, it's finally time for you to leave the house and experience the Zodiac Killers.
Zodiac Killers "The Most Thrilling Experience" CD/LP (Rip Off)
With ex-members of the Rip offs & the Brides you know this is gonna rock your socks off! Fuck yeah I'm right, I'm always right, this record is like a drug! Each song is a minute long '77 garage punk extravaganza! The interchanging male and female vocals are the coolest! This 12-song record is unquestionably worth forking over cash for. Soon you to will be enjoying such famed tunes as, "Die Tonight", "Feed it to your Mom", and "X U Out"! Stick with suicide! [JD]
Zodiac Killers "The Most Thrilling Experience" CD/LP (Rip Off)
I
really shouldn't be writing this review. I got a bunch of stuff way before this
record, but god almighty, if people don't here about this thing, I'll feel as
though the public were being shortchanged.
The Zodiac Killers features ex-Rip Off/Infection Greg Lowery, so if you're
familiar with either of those bands you have an idea of what to expect. If not,
here's a simple explanation made to the best of my ability: fast, snotty punk
rock with a crunchy sound that'll make any garage rock drool. There's a huge
emphasis on the word fast here, as this record clocks in at just over 13 minutes
(bonus track and interlude included). Contrary to the opinions of musical
purists who want nothing to do with the rock and/or roll, the Zodiac Killers go
for the "Quality over Quantity" approach, as only four of the 13
tracks clock in at over one minute.
Fans of Lowery's previous bands may or may not be happy to hear that somehow he
and his new band mates managed to put out a record faster and more aggressive
than his previous projects ever did. It seems like his musical output follows an
evolutionary chart that started with a slug and ended with Carl Lewis.
The Punk Rock factor is also heightened by the inclusion of two covers on the
record. The first, Angry Samoans' "Steak Knife," is played - dare I
say it - more frantically than the original. The second, the Killjoys'
"Johnny Won't Go to Heaven," is. well. you can't blame the boys (and
girl) for trying. I always enjoy when bands take their own slant on a cover, but
I don't know if forgetting the lyrics falls under that category. Well, nobody's
perfect. Besides, it's originals like "Somebody's Getting' Screwed,"
"Come on and Die," and, uh, the other nine songs they wrote that make
this record smoke. The covers are just an added bonus.
Once again, Rip Off succeeded in putting out a record that completely restores
my faith in punk rock. And with bands like The Metros getting ready to release
full lengths, the future looks very promising.
-Dr. Calculus