Location: Auburn, Michigan, USA
Track Listing:
1.Boiling Point
2.With The Swine
3.Standard Double Standard
4.Pornstache(The Ballad Of Thunderclips Johnson)
5.Elephant Balls
A relatively new outfit, The Outlaws of Zen only played their debut show at a local bar in their native Michigan a few months ago, and this is their debut offering,five tracks of thunderous hard rock in the vein of bands like Alabama Thuderpussy, early Clutch and Brand New Sin.
As expected of a first demo, the production is a little rough, however this lends a certain 'live' feel to the tracks, adding to the rough-hewn charm of numbers like 'With The Swine'. The band veer between the untrammeled aggression of early Clutch, and the bluesier retro doom sound of bands like Graveyard and Witchcraft. It's a difficult balance to achieve, but the band mostly get it right, save for the odd duff moment here and there.Singer Joe Gibson , while being in possession of a fine throaty roar which ignites songs like the aforementioned 'With The Swine', struggles with some of the more melodic passages a little it seems.For example, opener 'Boiling Point' , while otherwise an enjoyable hard rock stomper, is let down slightly by an odd, flat sounding vocal hook.Mostly though, it's a competent, spirited performance from the front man, and the band themselves sound tight and well rehearsed,boding well for them as a live unit.
Overall 'Don't Bother Getting Up . . ' is an enjoyable effort, one that'll reward repeat listens, and shows the band have enormous potential to be something special.Yes it's rough , but considering the short amount of time the band have been together, it's impressive enough.Solid stuff, and ones to watch for sure.
Rating:6/10
For fans of : Alabama Thunderpussy, Clutch, Monster Magnet, Engines Of Ruin, Graveyard
Listen here:http://theoutlawsofzen.bandcamp.com/
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