Zero Hour [Live]

Track Listings

1. Mr. Ray

2. Vegas Man

3. Four Horsemen

4. Keep Your Dreams

5. I Remember

6. Ghost Rider

7. Rocket U.S.A.

8. Cheree

9. Harlem

10. 96 Tears

Zero Hour,Suicide,Restless,American Punk,Electronic,New York Punk,Pop,Popular Music,Post-Punk,Punk,Rock

Zero Hour [Live]

Tracks:

Tanguedia III
Milonga Del Angel
Concierto Para Quinteto
Milonga Loca
Michelangelo '70
Contrabajisimo
Mumuki

Amazon.com essential recording

Astor Piazzolla lived and died as tango's bad boy, having almost single handedly invented the music's vanguard, the form known as tango nuevo. It took Piazzolla decades to reach his unequivocal apex, which is captured flawlessly on Tango Zero Hour. When this recording was cut in 1986, some of the compositions Piazzolla and his quintet cued up were standards for the band. Whether it was an epiphanic period or not, the recording captures an ensemble alchemically transforming seriously complex works into goose-bump-inducing electricity. Pianist Pablo Ziegler brings his jazz background into the mix with jarring urgency, just as violinist Fernando Suárez Paz makes quavering classical inflections sing amid Piazzolla's here tender and there blistering bandoneon. For a peak experience in music that challenges the ear to dance and the body to fully listen, look no further than this recording. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Why yes, it is amazing........2007-07-01

35 five star ratings so far, and no rating with a lower grade.

And it deserves every one of them.

New Tango.......2006-08-20

Tango: Zero Hour was the very first tango recording/CD I had ever heard. A friend of mine loaned it to me, not ever telling me exactly what Tango was- all I knew to think of was the dancers with the roses between their teeth, where the dancing was more dramatic than the music... So, my first mistake: having never heard tango. My second? Listening to it late at night in the dark. Music had never rocked my world quite like this... It was the most intense experience I had ever had with music. I was shocked. Wide-eyed. Taken aback. The version I had in my hands was the original with the liner notes, not the new shiny one that I now own (and that you can now buy), and the prose written on the card inside was enough to rip me in half without having ever heard the music. Tango: Zero Hour is not for the faint at heart. It is not for the light enthusiast. As the liner notes so eloquently said: "And suffer, Motherf*****. This is the Tango."

Tango evolved to its most abstract and profound expression.......2006-06-16

Im ashamed to say I began listening to Piazzola at my mid thirties... well, better late than never... Im not a music critic, but all I can say is that Tango has a higher dimmension where it becomes universal and mayble the category of jazz (higher jazz that is) is best to classify it.

Tango is tragic and sensuous... listening to Piazzolla is like listening to classical music quintent.. at the same level it is..

A must.......2005-11-03

This is music to breathe and dream to. Piazolla at his best is probably the most enchanting and transcendental. It takes a Master Extraordinaire to make music like this, Piazolla's recordings only get better with age and never outdated because it is made up of the spirit and passions of a life lived richly. The Melancholy laments of the Bandoneon is truly one of the most haunting, nostalgic most beautiful musical Innovations ever made and noone interprets the manic poetry of it like Piazolla. I can't say much more then what the others have said here but this belongs in every serious music afficianado's collection.

The most passionate music I've ever listened to.......2004-08-27

"Tango: Zero Hour" is, according to Piazzola himself, his masterpiece. This album is second to none in passion and musicianship. Listening to "Contrabajisimo" and "Concierto Para Quinteto" and not shedding one single tear is a certificate of one's total lack of emotions.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master
When styles mix
Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love
Great sex music! Comes from the heart!
Piazzolla's Unofficial Interpreter

Hommage A Piazzolla

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Tracing Astor
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Tango: Zero Hour
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ASIN: B000005J48
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Milonga En Re
Vardarito
Oblivion
Escualo
Histoire Du Tango: Cafe 1930
Concierto Para Quinteto
Soledad
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Celos
El Sol Sueno (Hommage A Astor Piazzolla)
Le Grand Tango

Amazon.com essential recording

Gidon Kremer, who plays the standard violin repertoire so well, has remained a restless explorer of music. Here is his first album of Piazzolla arrangements, introduced by a moving and perceptive assessment of Piazzolla by composer John Adams. Kremer has completely steeped himself in the spirit of the tango, and of Piazzolla's transformation of this music into concert works. The selection (mostly larger-scale Piazzolla works), the varied arrangements, and the compelling quality of the playing make this one of the best albums of this music not involving the composer's own performances. And if you love it, you'll be glad to know that Kremer's second Piazzolla album is also available. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully captivating music by the tango master.......2005-10-25

I was introduced to the music of Astor Piazzolla by the more than great violinist Gidon Kremer when he played a virtuosic tango as an encore. Whenever a rich new vein of wonderful music is opened to me, well, it makes for a bright and happy day. Not long after I picked up this CD and I can recommend it to you highly. This is more than just tango dance music, these are serious and contemplative compositions that use the Tango as the vehicle just as the classical and especially Baroque composers used their dance music for instrumental compositions. The music is full of mood, sensuality, rhythm, lush harmonies, dissonance, love, and pain. It is a music of contrasts and never gets too fussy or complicated. It wears its heart on its sleeve and draws us in because it is so charming.

Each piece has its own varied ensemble and the musicians in that ensemble also arrange the music for that track. Kremer leads from the violin in all of them, after all it is his album and his hommage to Piazzolla. However, the instruments used depend on the musical materials and mood of the piece. The piano is used quite a bit, and at times there are wind instruments. The bandoneón is required in tango, as well. It is a kind of concertina that was developed and made in Germany, but adopted in Argentina for the Tango. It has a wonderfully reedy sound and is played with buttons on each side of the bellows. Depending on the model, the note can change or stay the same whether you are pulling the bellows out or pushing them in, but in all of them there are two voices always at the octave and gives the bandoneón its characteristic sound.

The only composition not by Piazzolla is a very interesting tango included as a tribute to the master entitled "El sol sueño" by Jerzy Peterbushsky.

This is good music and a very enjoyable change of pace.

When styles mix.......2005-09-07

I bought this record following a live performance by Gidon Kremer et al. at the Verbier Festival. The mixture of classical music with a dose of jazz on a Latin base produces an interesting result that is quite surprising at first. However, the more one hears, the more the result grows on the listener, just as at the live show where the audience, somewhat stunned at the outset, gave a standing ovation at the end.

Overall, the mélange is pleasant, chill listening to be appreciated by fans of any of the three styles of music.

Explains It All To Those Wounded in Love.......2005-01-16

Ever have a moment where you loved someone so much you hated him?

Ever have a relationship you could not get out of your mouth, your mind, your heart, your system, but that you knew was over and done with forever and ever, and you'd never even see the other again?

Ever feel so happy you wanted to cry? No, sob? Wrenching, wracking sobs? From happiness, now.

Yes?

Have I got a CD for you: Hommage a Piazzolla, featuring Gidon Kremer.

Like many, I suspect, I have a mixed relationship to tango. When I put on a tango CD, I fear I'll be hearing something that sets my teeth to jangling and makes me want to slap someone in the face.

This isn't that. You could listen to most of this while sitting perfectly still, on a window sill, in fact, with the lights down low in your apartment, as you stare out at the rain-slicked city at night. A drink sits on a nearby table, unfinished...you have no will to finish it.

(It's hard not to imagine these things while listening to this music; really, it's all so poetic, cinematic, irresistable.)

At some point, though, you're probably not going to be able to sit still any more, and you'll have to put that rose in your teeth and cut a few moves.

Tango often sounds, to we non-Argentinians, like a parody of itself.

This CD does not.

Rather, when I put it on, not at all sure what to expect, I had one of those epiphanies that art can give you.

I had been brooding over a vexed relationship, one I did not understand, but knew was hurting me, not with any immediacy, but like a sore tooth that could stand to go a few more months before you get over your fear of the dentist to get it fixed.

What bugged me most of all was that I did not understand what was hurting. Rationally, I had no reason to feel troubled.

I put on this CD, with the relationship way in the back of my mind, and I just, immediately thought, "That's it. This music is explaining it all; this music is articulating everything."

Not bad.

This kind of music, music that allows in the true bittersweet of life, the unsolvable, the passion, is all too rare. If music that addresses those qualities is what you crave, this CD might be just what you need.

Great sex music! Comes from the heart!.......2004-07-21

The music and perforamance are so sensually played and achingly beautiful, the hairs on my neck and arms stand up on end. Listen to the opening track and tell me this is not great sex music. Yes, tango is a very sensual art form and this CD is great for those very intimate moments. Of course, sex aside, the music is nothing short of a miracle unto itself. That I was to discover this CD just last year meant I was without it for 7 years since it was released. My life is richer for this and other Piazzolla works done by Kremer.
This CD has become one of those "island" CDs that you would take if you wer so to become deserted on one. You should be so lucky!

Piazzolla's Unofficial Interpreter.......2001-04-12

I first became aware of this CD several years ago as its melancholy strains wafted through the air of a bookstore through which I was browsing. My ears perked up...Piazzolla!!! Upon inquiry, I was shown the CD and I immediately purchased a copy. I couldn't wait to get home and listen to it at elevated volume. What a recording!! Kremer has captured and distilled the essence of Piazzolla's music. Every song is a masterpiece and nearly all of my favorite mid-period Piazzolla compositions are contained within. A special treat is the magnum opus which closes the set, a 12-minute rendering of Le Grand Tango with just Kremer's violin and the restrained passion of Vadim Sakharov's piano to lead your mind into another musical dimension. Gidon Kremer has since recorded a number of Piazzolla-related CDs and in so doing has set himself up as the unofficial interpreter of El Maestro's music. If you like Piazzolla, you are sure to enjoy this CD. I give it my highest recommendation.

Average customer rating:

Amazing
Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary
A Christlike Performance
superb playing of great music

Los Tangueros

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Argentina | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Tangos Among Friends
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Bajo Cero
Piazzolla: Song of the Angel

ASIN: B0000029TY
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Revirado
Fuga y misterio
Milonga del angel
Decarissimo
Soledad
La muerte del angel
Adios Nonino
Libertango
Verano porte
Michelangelo '70
Buenos Aires hora cero
Tangata

Amazon.com essential recording

Like his frequent partner, Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax has become infatuated with the tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Ax sought out pianist Pablo Ziegler, a long-time member of Piazzolla's ensemble, to make these arrangements and perform them with him. With his innate musicianship and Ziegler as a tutor, Ax has entered wholeheartedly into the world of the New Tango. These performances have just the right feeling for rhythm and color. Whether you need an album of Piazzolla on two pianos is another question. I'd say get some of Piazzolla's own recordings first. But for piano tango this album is a total success. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-07-16

There is a certain intensity in Piazzola's music that is hard to describe. It can be very powerful and nostalgic at the same time, very energetic and extremely mellow. Rumor has it that when Piazzola was studing music, his teacher pesuaded him to go back to his natural instrument, the bandoneon, as Piazzola had proven to play it with a special sensitivity.
While played in the bandoneon , Piazzola's music reaches all its Argentinean identity and character, but in the piano- in this case two of them- his music transforms and gets a richness that is really imppresive. I can't imagine two better piano players to deliver the passion of Piazzola's music. Emmanuel Ax and Pablo Ziegler are amazing together. Los Tangueros is a classic for all the Piazzola fans.

Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary.......2003-03-05

The quintessential Piazzolla is presented here in a rapturous performance by several artists in their own right. I was attracted to this recording because I play the piano and the idea of Emanual Ax and Pablo Ziegler (another one of those classical-Tango joint venture a la Yo Yo Ma) performing Tango was too much to pass up.

The transcriptions are very, very good. In fact, though one can readily distinguish the sound from the classic Tango ensemble, the music is seamless. It works! Of particular interest is "La muerte del angel". One wishes that the "angel" trilogy could be presented in one package instead of spread out over several recordings. And speaking of transcripts, a German firm now distributes piano versions of Piazzolla tangos in three volumes.

While I'm wishing, it would be great if someone recorded the entire body of Piazzolla compositions in one collection.

A Christlike Performance.......2000-08-02

I was unfamiliar with Emanuel Ax, very familiar with Pablo Ziegler, and ultra familiar with the work of Astor Piazzolla, so I decided to give this CD a try. The only disappointment is that there are only 12 songs on this recording. It must have been difficult for Piazzolla acolyte Ziegler to decide which of the hundreds of worthy Piazzolla compositions to record. In the end, he did a great job not only in selecting a variety of Piazzolla styles, but also in selecting those which fit his conception of this project. Its hard to choose a favorite here though if pressed, I'd name the stately Soledad followed closely by the equally majestic Tangata. Ziegler's arrangements are impeccable. He proves that a lot of music can spring from two pianos with no other instrumentation needed when the arrangements are right. I heartily recommend this album not only to Piazzolla fans, but to fans of the piano. I hope that Ax and Ziegler soon offer an encore to this Christlike performance.

superb playing of great music.......1999-08-07

Piazzola does for tango what Gershwin did for the blues. And there is no better medium to hear what Piazzola is up to than these splendid arrangements for two pianos. Emanuel Ax, of course, is one of America's best living pianists. With Ziegler, he forms an unforgettable team. Highly worthwhile.

Average customer rating:

Simply Breath-Taking
full of energy worth savouring
Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material
A Towering Musical Achievement
Beautiful Harp Album

Crossing the Stone

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Free

ASIN: B0000AM6IX
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Mountain Dance
Harpers Bizarre
James
Crossing The Stone (Tros Y Garreg)
Prelude From Partita No. 3
Third Movement From Electric Counterpoint
Eternal Dream
The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba From Solomon
Cafe Vamp Latino
Spain
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Clair De Lune
Prelude In C/Ave Maria
Thingamujig
Suo Gan
Palladio (1st Movement)

Customer Reviews:

Simply Breath-Taking.......2007-03-05

Being a harpist myself, I can truly admire Catrin Finch's talent, style and choice of music selections for her first album.

Some songs are truly a revelation for the harp as an instrument using New Age style accompaniment, while there are still pieces with a classical vibe.

Well Done!

full of energy worth savouring.......2004-12-13

The artist is able to deconstruct the traditional image of harp as an instument. The texture and the hue of the music is rich and full of lustre. very creative and versatile.

Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material.......2004-02-01

There's a reason Charles, Prince of Wales, revived a long-dormant (since 1871) tradition and presented Catrin Finch a Royal Appointment as his harpist. At age 23 she is a remarkable talent, with pristine technique and a fluency in the languages of both classical and contemporary music.

If only the material on her debut disc were equal to her talent.

While Finch is extraordinary, the music is a mixed bag of modern jazz/pop tunes, re-tooled classical favorites, and several hit-and-miss arrangements by Finch's musical partner, composer Karl Jenkins.

It's all starts and stops, ups and downs. In the jazz/pop genre, Dave Grusin's infectious "Mountain Dance" and the relaxed groove of Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays' "James" are perfectly suited for harp, while Chick Corea's "Spain" just never catches fire. Among the contemporary, experimental compositions, Jenkins' minimalist but tuneful "Harpers Bizarre" is far more interesting than Steve Reich's "Third Movement from Electric Counterpoint" - a tedious ostinato that never develops into anything. In a more traditional vein, "Crossing the Stone," taken from Jenkins' double harp concerto, is a rich, lovely setting of a Welsh folk tune, but two other selections from the concerto - "Eternal Dream" and "Caf? Vamp Latino" - don't relate musically at all. And while Finch, unaccompanied, is flawless on Bach's "Prelude from Partita No. 3," her performance of Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is marred by the decision to include some noisy Middle Eastern percussion, as is Debussy's "Clair de lune" by an intrusive, soporific voice-over.

On the upside again, Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria" and the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan" team Finch nicely with solo voices (though countertenor Terrance Barber's vibrato is perhaps an acquired taste), and Jenkins' "Thingamujig" is a fun, lively jig.

Concluding the album, the first movement of Jenkins' "Palladio" (featured for years in TV commercials for DeBeers diamonds) in a dull dance remix has none of the energy of the original version for string quartet and is a totally gratuitous inclusion.

From Finch's liner-note comment that "I've never really been stuffy about classical music ... I'm open to everything, really," it's apparent that some tracks are an attempt to make a "classical" instrument more accessible to listeners of contemporary music. Again, Finch is terrific, but listeners would be better served by a recording of the harpist that displays her virtuosity in a single genre - whether classical, contemporary or experimental - instead of this hodgepodge.

Give the performer five stars, the material two, and look forward to hearing this talented young artist for many years to come.

A Towering Musical Achievement.......2003-10-29

While biographies disguised as reviews are tiresome, some background is in order, in this case. At the age of 23, Catrin Finch has been playing the harp for 18 years. She was appearing on British television and with major orchestras by the time she was 10, and was appointed the Royal Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales (a.k.a. Prince Charles) at the age of 20. Bottom line: This lady has more than enough credentials to be regarded as a major musical talent.

But does having a long list of credentials translate to making a great album? In this case, you bet it does. On "Crossing The Stone," Catrin Finch combines piles of technical expertise with surprising and even stunning musical choices. Sure, she covers classical music (such as Bach's 'Prelude from Partita #3' and Handel's 'The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba') brilliantly, but you'd expect that from an alumnus of The Royal College of Music. But would you expect to hear a piece by jazz pianist Dave Grusin done on the harp? How about music by guitarist Pat Metheny, or a Chick Corea composition?

Catrin Finch is an incredible talent, and she has created a beautiful, eclectic album that demands (and will receive) repeated listening. Unfortunately, it's also an album that you probably won't find in your local music store. This album has not received a lot of publicity, and I have yet to walk into a CD store and find it sitting on the shelf. Save yourself a lot of tedious shopping: buy it here and now.

Beautiful Harp Album.......2003-08-26

I first heard Catrin Finch on a free sample CD I received and when I listened to it, I couldn't believe that the instrument that she was playing was the harp! It was so vibrant and full of life. It felt like I had opened the windows and let the sun shine in. The harp is the world's oldest - and most difficult instrument, but in Ms. Finch's power it is sounds both contemporary effortlessly played. It is a wonderful buy for any appreciate of music, and the most electric harp album ever produced.

Average customer rating:

Don't let the band name fool you...

3-D Stereo Trouble
Shallow
Manufacturer: Zero Hour/Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003YRP
Release Date: 1996-02-06

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*- (Asterisk)
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Customer Reviews:

Don't let the band name fool you..........2001-10-27

The first major release of Overland Park, KS based trio, Shallow put out this memorable album when everyone else in the area was shelling out the most (pun intended) shallow junk you could imagine...

Sounding like a cotton candy extacy high, Julie Shields' voice will guide you through well crafted tunes that will linger in your head long after the CD stops spining...

Look for Seedy Bonus Track to remind you of Zep's Moby Dick but you'll be hard pressed to find anything else here to compare.

If you enjoy this CD, go take a look at a new band called The Capsules, which is made up of the two front men (one man, one lady ^_^) from Shallow who have since basically disbanded as of this writing...

A great CD by Shallow, but if you can have only one Shallow CD, look for High Flying Kid's stuff, as it's the band's hole in one slam dunk...

Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Average customer rating:

Heavy, Technical and In Your Face!

Prog-metal mastery!

Prog-metal for the new millenium

Prog-Metal with Vision

Intricate Prog-Metal Insanity

Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Zero Hour
Manufacturer: Sensory Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000I5XEE6
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

Face the Fear
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Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
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I Am Here
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Customer Reviews:

Heavy, Technical and In Your Face!.......2007-07-29

Zero Hour have created a masterpiece with Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond. Jasun and Troy Tipton are the most amazing musicians you will ever hear and with the addition of the great Chris Salinas belting out the his incredible vocal gymnastics Zero Hour are a force! This one takes several listens to digest and learn but once you put in the effort you are rewarded heavily. WHAT A GREAT ALBUM!!

Prog-metal mastery!.......2007-07-27

Jasun, Troy, Mike, and Chris rule! This is one of the finer additions to the Zero Hour catalogue. My personal favorite is still Metamorphasis but the savage odd meter riffing on this album just blew me away. If you're already a fan your gonna like it. If your not a fan YET then check this out and pick up Metamorphasis while your at it.

Prog-metal for the new millenium.......2007-01-24

The American band Zero Hour didn't had a easy time the last few years.
After their very successful second 2001 album, The Towers of Avarice, original singer Erik Rosvold left the band in September 2004. The band was then already waiting for 3 years to hear his contribution on what would have become their new album. A year later Zero Hour would release the album A Fragile Mind with singer Fred Marshall.

The album was well received but did not get the same positive reactions as "Towers". It soon became clear that the bands also knew that something was not well because as just fast as Marshall was hired he was out of the band again. Then on February the 4th of this year we heard the news that ex-Power of Omens vocalist Chris Salinas would be the permanent singer.

For those who don't know, Power of Omens was a very progressive metal band from Texas who's 1998 debut album was a classic in the prog-metal genre. However the question was if Chris Salinas with his sensitive Geoff Tate like voice would fit with the band. Because Zero Hour plays very technical metal with intense walls of sounds and staccato riffs that now and then sound like Fear Factory. But when I heard the album, all fears were put to rest, this time the band has made the right choice.

It is noticeable that the band has put a lot more quiet sometimes almost jazz-like passages in their songs, which makes sure that the quiet and atmospheric voice of Salinas is given space to shine. I trust that I won't have to tell to anyone that this does wonders for the dynamics of the album. Once you get used to the intense style of Zero Hour, you are rewarded with an fantastic album that will draw you in completely. There are only 7 songs on this 45 minutes and 8 seconds lasting album, but each song shines like a jewel.

Really beautiful are those passages where bassist Troy Tipton, Guitarist Jasun Tipton, yes they are twin-brothers, and drummer Mike Guy build up the tension in the songs, from quiet to intense, from wild to calm. Like, for example, in Evidence Of The Unseen, The Falcon's Cry or the beautiful album opener Face The Fear.

Chris Salinas whispers, talks, sings and screams himself through this album in a magnificent manner and proves that he is the perfect vocalist for Zero Hour. The diverse compositions and the fact that they have been written like real songs makes sure that this album is endlessly intriguing. There are new things to hear time after time and the album keeps on growing. This is what makes listening to Specs Of Pictures Burned Beyond a mesmerizing and addictive experience.

Its very likely that this album will top my year list at the end of 2006. It's a metal classic and thus a fantastic achievement of this young and promising band.

Prog-Metal with Vision.......2006-11-15

This is a tricky album to review for Zero Hour because, while clearly the band is still Zero Hour as previously known (with a different vocalist, again), there's a different kind of "feel" that previous albums. For one thing, this album seems very much of a piece; it's in a particular musical zone that seems different from other Zero Hour albums, in exactly the same way that Led Zeppelin's "Presence" is very Zeppelinesque, while simultaneously being like nothing they had ever done, or would again. And like "Presence," what this album exhibits (sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much so) is a particular obsessiveness of groove.

For instance, the exceptionally captivating (hell, I'll say it, the brilliant) title track is an intense, relentless crunch fest. At the beginning, mid-tempo linear guitar lines skitter around, while the bass and drums already established the brutal, ceaseless *thump-thump-thump* that characterizes almost all of the song. After only 60 seconds of this introduction, the main crunching rift settles in, with Chris Salinas alternating between the familiar kind of Zero Hour vocals one expects, and very definitely King Diamond-inspired falsetto-growl oscillations. I think the "high notes" one reviewer complained of must be these. But I'm telling you, it's almost chilling and fantastically effectively. If title tracks indicate high points on albums, then this certainly proves it. There's of course the risk here, for impatient listeners, that the band spends too much time just beating away on those same few chords--there are in fact more variations than I might be giving the impression of, but the music does stick very closely to a single idea here, with the variations only making the return of the main grinding that much more satisfying. And, again, Salinas' vocals are all over the map, in a great way. Finally, after five minutes, there's a quiet interlude (that seems to refer to the opening song vaguely), followed by a slithery delicious mayhem of arpeggios to finish this off. Very. Satisfying. For this song alone am I glad I bought the disc.

The album opens with "Face the Fear," one of those familiar 9 minute long prog-metal epics. Lots of jagged, skittery guitar lines--with Salinas' vocals coming in with the expected kind of prog-metal sound. One could compare vocal styles with others, but at a bare minimum, he certainly gets the job done well enough. Only two minutes into the song, the first introspective quasi-acoustic section of the album starts--and one really gets a first taste of the "stuck in the groove" sensibility that generally so strongly characterizes this album. I apologise for having to say this, but you really do kind of have to hear how the durations in these songs pull out longer than they should, but nevertheless work, to really get the "thing" of this album. In theory, these repetitions should grow boring, but they're so carefully modulated (most of the time) that that proves not to be the case. At five minutes, the skittery lines return--very satisfying after the introspective interlude. Once again, this only lasts about two minutes, and then its back to the introspective bit for just a handful of seconds. As the opening licks are reprised toward the end, the song does seem to flag a bit--it's easy to get lost in it, since there is no recognizable verse or chorus structure. It ends with a bass line that will haunt the album throughout.

"The Falcon's Cry" at 8'00" starts off very promisingly--crunching chords, alternating high and low vocals by Salinas, and a skittery guitar flourish that definitely resembles the opening song. It's like bits and pieces from the first have been reassembled into a completely different song. The secret, again, seems to be the reliability of the repeating bass and guitar lines, which allow Salinas to just get all unhinged over, in, and under the music. Very nice. Around three minutes, introspective guitar section #2 on the album starts, with the standard arpeggiated chords; Salinas here opts for a kind of loungy, throaty sound for the main part of his vocals, intercut with whispery asides. Although this is largely the same approach as the first song, I find the drawing out of the introspective section not so satisfying, and the return to heavier, crunching guitars not as exhilarating. At this point, it seems like the verse-chorus structure of conventional music, has been replaced with "fast" and "slow" contrasts. In all, this song might benefit from being further away from the opener.

"Embrace," at a mere 2'24" is a guitar & acoustic study in arpeggios, with some rather buried vocal wailing in the background--a moody little gesture, it sits very nicely between the last song and the title track, which is about to come blistering along. Repetition is still very apparent here, yet still put to fairly effective use.

"Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond" (described above) is followed by another short piece, "Zero Hour" at 2'27". If there was an doubt about the cohesiveness of this album, this song makes it apparent, by starting once again with the lick from the end of "Face the Fear" and found also in "Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond." Here the variation is with a straight up guitar-line version of it, interspersed with a quieter, bass only edition of the theme also. This get even more frantic at the end, and then veers off into a metallic-nasal lick to wrap up this brief, but wide-ranging little journey. A fine decompression after the title track, as well as a set up to the next song.

"I am Here," at 4'58", starts off with introspective acoustic guitar section #3 (and in fact sticks with it throughout). Salinas skips the lounge-tones here, thankfully, and goes after a kind of subdued profundity instead. It's a ballad all the way through, and not the most inspiring or soulful one ever committed to tape. It's at least a contrast with the rest of the album.

"Evidence of the Unseen," at 8'44", is the album's last track, and the other particularly fine prog-metal epic. (Mind you, this is prog-metal with no keyboards at all). All of the gestures, or bits, come together in this culminating song. Starting with a rolling, slightly uptempo guitar line, it suddenly breaks to something like the metallic-nasal bit, then just as quickly drops into the *thump-thump-thump* found throughout the album. Crazy little arpeggios flourish float over the mix as Salinas' vocals get more and more impassioned, and the guitars and drums get fatter and fatter--a very cool crescendo, that breaks off into an introspective bit declaring, "You are, you are alive," as kind of a response to the "I am here" of the previous song. A high wail, and the power chords return, beating away and reprising the opening again. (All of this in 3 minutes; the song really covers a lot of territory, and very ably). The song then breaks into a series of varied linear guitar lines, mixed together, and variously crooned, wailed and whispered over and through by Salinas. It's particularly apparent that what's being created here is more of a particularly well-evoked texture or atmosphere, than a song in the usual sense of the word. Headphones also help to really pull out details throughout, as the end particularly relentlessly sticks to its guns as different vocal flourishes sneak around the wall of sound.

I think this is an album best played all the way through (almost as if a single song), and at loud volume. It has a particularly obsessive vision that is rare for prog-metal albums (more so even than "Pleasant Shade of Gray"), and definitely makes itself felt. The lyrics certainly help also to tie the album together as a whole. If nothing else, the title track, and "Evidence of the Unseen" easily make the disc worth the asking price.

Intricate Prog-Metal Insanity.......2006-11-08

I have been a fan of the relatively obscure progressive metal band Zero Hour since the release of their amazing concept album, "The Towers of Avarice", and have not been disappionted by any of their subsequent releases. The band has suffered from an inability to retain a singer for more than one album, which can dramatically alter a band's sound for better or worse. Prog-metal bands, in particular, often depend on a vocalist's range and style to deliver the goods. Witness the difference between Dream Theater's "When Dream and Day Unite" and the uber-classic "Images and Words" after the addition of new vocalist James La Brie. Upon hearing that Zero Hour's new singer would be the former vocalist of the avant-garde Power of Omens, I was disappointed in the extreme, because I had purchased a Power of Omens album and didn't like it at all, especially the vocals. I was happily mistaken, though, because after a few spins I have come to the conclusion that Chris Salinas is the best vocalist this band has ever employed. He has unbelievable range and power, but often employs subtlety and emotion to get the point across as well, making it apparent to me that his amazing voice is simply utilized much more effectively and melodically in this band than on the Power of Omens release.

The core of the group, of course, has alway been the powerhouse duo of the Tipton brothers on guitar and bass, and their performance on this album is mind-blowing! This album is all about full-throttle shred, and Zero Hour's staccato, rhythmically challenging tendencies are actually kicked up a notch on this album compared to the relatively more cinematic and hook-oriented approach of their previous release, "A Fragile Mind".

That having been said, the reason I am reluctant to give it five stars is the fact that I actually think their previous effort was overall a better album as a whole, with a better balance of progressive elements and cohesive songwriting and a more cinematic, "whole package" conceptual approach which I came to really appreciate. I think that the never ending barrage of (admittedly very cool) riffs and time changes on this album simply don't stick in your head and make as much of an impression as "A Fragile Mind" did, although it is cool to see them push the boundaries of the band's technical proficiency. Still, it is basically one of the best progressive metal releases in years. Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Espina : An insane trip into the mind of Pat Briggs
Boring and unoriginal
Amazing vocalist, whether its Goth/Glam/Industrial/Rock
MacArthur Park Rocks
Simply bad

Espina
Psychotica
Manufacturer: Zero Hour/Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Psychotica

ASIN: B000006P2V
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

Ding Dong Dead
Bleeding
Too Late
Blind
Breakable
Psychopharmacologist
Macarthur Park
February 14th 1979
Soldier Of War

Customer Reviews:

Espina : An insane trip into the mind of Pat Briggs.......2005-07-02

Compared to their self-titled debut, Espina is a Porsche compared to a Ford Pinto. Although I love the debut album, Espina expands Psychotica's musical talents in various ways. I love the use of piano and keyboards on this album, which adds some melody to this album. I also am glad that Psychotica decided to drop the female rap vocalist. Excellent songs on this album include Bleeding, Soldier of War, Blind, and the cover of MacArthur Park. I would recomend this album to anyone who likes to listen to music that you just don't hear every day. It's a shame the band broke up.

Boring and unoriginal.......2004-08-03

Psychotica's first album is amazing, and for that I will always respect their music. Apparently, Pat should have kept the band (and the black rasta back up singer) because this album was a train wreck, mostly because the switch over to electronic music didn't work out well. Espina starts off with ding dong dead, which would be fun for new york city club kid in the 80's, but for me it was just a sign of the disappointment that was to follow. Then there's just a bunch of blah blah blah for a hand full tracks. The lyrics seem like they were written by a depressed catholic school girl with an IQ of 6, and the music doesn't make up for the replusive lyrics. Then comes the MacArthur Park cover, which I actually like the first minute of, then the wonderful music returns back to the raver nyc 80's music for the rest of the song. The ONLY track I LOVE off this album is track #8, Feb 8th 1979, which is why I gave this two stars instead of just one. Then the cry me a river song, I don't know how many times I've heard that saying, but I DEFINATELY didn't want to hear it in a psychotica song. The album 'Pandemic' (made in 1999, but unreleased) is better than espina, it's not great, but it redeemed psychotica's music in my eyes somewhat. 'Pandemic' is very rare, but available at art monkey.com

If you do like espina, psychotica re-released it with bonus tracks and remixes, the album is called 'THORN'(espina is spanish for thorn.) Even though I didn't like espina, I still ordered thorn.

Amazing vocalist, whether its Goth/Glam/Industrial/Rock.......2003-07-15

It is an absolute shame that Psychotica no longer exists, and that vocalist Patrick Briggs has eased back into Nightclub ownership. What an amazing vocal talent! Wild and weird, with a Marilyn Manson like gothic undertone and David Bowie Glam, I just don't understand why Psychotica never went further. They performed at Lollapalooza in '97, and that was pretty much the end. Patrick had a tendency to perform almost naked, though at Lollapalooza he wore a silver jumpsuit a'la Devo. He was on the edge of acceptable behavior, but so very talented, bringing in Pianists and Bagpipes and symphonies behind his unique music. After Espina, they recorded one more album, `Pandemic', that never got released. There are MP3's out on the internet from Pandemic, and I strongly urge you to find them and get them before they disappear. Pandemic has a Georgio Morodor (Cat People Soundtrack) remix of MacArthur Park, along with three not-to-be-missed ballads that Patrick's vocals just make you want to cry on. Valentino, Euthanasia, and Monsoon. FIND PANDEMIC! You won't be sorry. As for Espina, I think it is even better than Psychotica's self titled first CD. `Ding Dong Dead' is just good ol' goth fun, `Feb 14th 1979' is an oddball song with fun lyrics and changing melodies. But with Patrick's voice, I tend to lean towards his ballads (and I'm not a ballad lover), `Too Late' and `Soldier Of War'. Amazing CD, amazing vocals. If you like goth/glam/odd rock, don't miss this soon-to-be-gone treasure.

MacArthur Park Rocks.......2002-06-28

"Espina" isn't nearly as brilliant as Psychotica's self titled album, but their cover of MacArthur Park is amazing. How anyone can make such a horrible song sound so incredible is beyond me, but they do. This and a couple of other gems such as Psychopharmacologist make this album worth owning.

Simply bad.......2001-12-03

The original Psychotica EP is one of my favorite albums. When Espina was released, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it; when I did, I was terribly disappointed. The music is incredibly dull and uninspired; often it's so skillessly and artificially slapped together that it grates on the ear. The fantastic lyrics of the EP have been replaced with lyrics barely at the level of mass-produced pop. Save your money.

Average customer rating:

What? Mostly Forgettable? The last reviewer is CRACKED
Only for the enthusiast

Space Travel, Rock 'n' Roll
Swervedriver
Manufacturer: Zero Hour/Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | CD Singles | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DCT3
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Tracks:

99th Dream
Good Ships
Hate Yr Kind
Stimulini

Customer Reviews:

What? Mostly Forgettable? The last reviewer is CRACKED.......2006-09-24

Hate Yr Kind is probably my favorite Swervedriver song, and a precursor to Adam Franklin's best ToShack Highway work. It is much gentler and more technically interesting than most of their driving songs, and indicative of how they slowed things down and opened up the production on their last album in 1998. That album was filled with these big romantic constructs of sound, and Hate Yr Kind is similarly filled out, but achieves a much quieter delivery. On Hate Yr Kind, the spotlight is shared by the 1)down tempo romanticism of the lyrics, tempo and rythm guitar, and the 2)weird, almost competitive but elaborate, drifting additional guitar lines woven into the composition. I think this is the component that makes this song interesting to me, because those secondary guitar parts are so emotive and so thoughtfully voiced, they really fill out an otherwise almost country waltz of a song, and keep me intrigued every time I listen to the song. The competitive facet is the wah guitar throughout the song - it almost detracts from the song, but was an interesting choice, and is very technically well-played. One of my favorite things about this band was always their second guitarist, watching him eventually come forward from the buzz of RAISE into the strong, assured and totally different essentially solo work he does on the later albums. Listening to his growth, you can definitely tell that these guys played together A LOT. All I can say is, I hope that a) that guy finds another band so I can hear him play some more, and b) he realizes the grand opportunity he had for growth as a musician, and is thankful for the 10 years he had building unforgettable songs with this inimitable band. And, I think Adam Franklin is awesome, too. I hope he does more work like the best parts of his first solo album, and the song "The Streets that Spin Off", and gets away from the acoustic stuff so much. He's a great songwriter and can only get better with the extra room to breath, but I will always long for the day when the two guitarists from Swervedriver get together again and push the sonic envelope. No one else has done such psychedelically noisy compositions since Sonic Youth circa 86-88, or Polvo when they were around, and both of those bands could only occasionally match the lushness or sense of dreamlike intensity that Swervedriver achieved in their best songs.
Yeah, I liked them a lot. Can you tell? I wish I was rewarded for all this praise with their next album....

Only for the enthusiast.......1999-08-05

For those of you collecting Swervedriver's singles, this is perhaps their least accessible set of B-sides. "Good Ships" is a slow, druggy retake of "Wrong Treats"... "Hate Yr Kind" is mostly forgettable. "Stimulini" is the best song on here. For the hardcore fan only.

Average customer rating:

Just what Steve Wynn needed
Best since "Days of Wine and Roses"

Melting in the Dark
Steve Wynn
Manufacturer: Zero Hour
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Dazzling Display
My Midnight
Kerosene Man
Static Transmission
...Tick...Tick...Tick

ASIN: B000003YSF
Release Date: 1996-07-30

Tracks:

Why
Shelley's Blues, Pt. 2
What We Call Love
Drizzle
The Angels
Epilogue
Silence Is Your Only Friend
Stare It Down
Smooth
For All I Care
The Way You Punish Me
Down
Melting In The Dark

Amazon.com

Inventive Dream Syndicate leader turned inconsistent solo artist Steve Wynn's songwriting has grown increasingly assured and concise even as he's struggled to achieve an appropriate musical framework. He regains his momentum impressively on this 1996 release, downplaying the singer-songwriter focus of his first couple of solo efforts in favor of a more grounded variation on the darkly personal guitar rock that put his former band on the map. The result is Wynn's most compelling solo outing yet, thanks in no small part to the presence of Come as his backup band; their elegant lurch gives songs like "What We Call Love," "Drizzle," and the droney raga-rock title cut a no-nonsense kick that perfectly complements Wynn's playfully cerebral lyrics. --Scott Schinder

Album Description

Self-produced 1995 solo album from ex-Dream Syndicate frontman. Zero Hour.

Customer Reviews:

Just what Steve Wynn needed.......2005-05-05

What a difference an incredible backing band can make! The original lineup of Come gives Wynn the kick in the pants he needed to transcend the often pointlessly wandering Dream Syndicate sound.

The combination of Come's muscular rhythm section and nasty double guitar attack is the perfect complement to Wynn's vocals. They push and pull him with exhilarating results.

Definitely recommended for both Come fans and Steve Wynn fans.

Best since "Days of Wine and Roses".......1999-10-22

It was a great idea to have Come as backing band; Steve has needed some feedback and into-the-abyss style energy. If you liked the best of Dream Syndicate you'll be pleased by this one.

Average customer rating:

Roni Sarig: Seriously?
Interesting for a listen or two
Excellent record
Breathtaking...

The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle
Space Needle
Manufacturer: Zero Hour/Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Lo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Voyager
Recordings 1994-1997
Bait & Switch
Dope Box
Pond

ASIN: B000003YRZ
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

Where The Fucks My Wallet?
Flowers For Algernon
Never Lonely Alone
Love Left Us Strangers
Hyapatia Lee
Old Spice
Hot For Krishna
More Than Goodnight
Bladewash
One Kind Of Lullaby

Amazon.com

How's this for irony? Low-fi indie rock, inspired by punk's do-it-yourself aesthetic, takes postrock conceptualism to a level of joyless meandering that hearkens back to the darkest days of '70s art rock, the very music punk sought to destroy. Welcome to Space Needle. On their 1995 debut, Voyager, the Long Island-based duo came out of nowhere and created a surprisingly, if not completely, successful four-track recording that put a dream-pop face on percolating analog synths and guitar noise. With their new The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle, the newly expanded three-piece gets a chance to stretch out in a professional studio, and it quickly becomes apparent how limited and uninteresting Space Needle really are.

Before you even hear the music, it's clear The Moray Eels treads on dangerous territory. The cover art rehashes the dreamscapes of early Yes albums, an ominous foreshadowing of the music to come. Perhaps the only thing worse than Yes's prog rock noodling is Space Needle's noodling without the musical chops to back it up. Minutes go by on the album where we hear nothing but rudimentary guitar picking repeated over atmospherics, without building or developing at all ("Bladewash" is almost 12 minutes of tedium).

The Moray Eels is best when it aims lowest: "Love Left Us Strangers" is a '70s-style organ ballad that's catchy and soulful in a suburban, hokey way. "Never Lonely Again" is pleasingly melodic as well, somewhere between Bread and the Velvet Underground. The addition of electric violin adds new colors to two of the tracks, but it's never anything that the Dirty Three haven't done better.

--Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews:

Roni Sarig: Seriously? .......2006-11-20

First of all, I want to express a frustration that I have. If you write official reviews for and are employed by amazon.com, you should probably put at least some effort into your review. There is no song called "Never Lonely Again" on this album. There is, however, a song called "Never Lonely Alone." Is it that hard to look at the tracklist while you're writing, especially if you're being paid for your writing? The title of the song repeats over and over in the song, and it has a much different meaning than the incorrect title that Sarig pulls out of nowhere, which leads me to believe that Sarig didn't really even listen to the album all that carefully.

I think this is a great, underrated album, and I hope more people give it a chance.

Interesting for a listen or two.......2005-03-24

The Roger Dean cover attracted me to it. Most of the music inside repelled me from it. The short songs aren't bad, a very indie style with minor psych leanings. But they are nothing special and I've heard it done better elsewhere. The long songs such as Where the F**ks my Wallet? which openings the album are absolutely horrid ambient noodling tracks which go nowhere and take forever to do it. This band simply doesn't have the chops to do progressive rock, and their attempts fall flat. Best thing about the album: I only paid fifty cents for it!

Excellent record.......2003-11-12

This monumental record is one that has remained one of my all-time favorites over the years. It has a mysterious (but not creepy) quality that still rocks. The instrumentation and melodies are beautiful and even catchy. Check out "Never Lonely Alone."

Breathtaking..........2001-06-13

I purchased this record a few years ago when it first came out. It still boggles my mind. It is such an abstract rock album, but incredibly powerful. It escapes genre definition, with many songs focusing on carefully layered guitar textures and tones. Flowers for Algernon is an exceptionally beatiful tune, gradually building to beautiful heights. The album is also graced with two Anti-Pop tunes, "Never Lonely Alone" and "Love Left us Strangers", very pop-style tunes but executed in such a raw way that it becomes an antithesis to the glossy strategic pop tunes that dominate the radio. This leaves us to simply focus on the melody and composition...There is not a bad moment on this album. This is one of the best albums you've probably never heard.

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