▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Zero Down ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: No Limit to the Evil █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-12-28 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Minotauro Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ With four full-length albums under their belt █ █ since 2005, you'd think Seattle metallers Zero █ █ Down would be on our radars a little more often. █ █ But the first few tracks of their brand new effort █ █ "No Limit to the Evil" reveals the issue regarding █ █ their popularity... █ █ The excellent cover art, by classic metal artist █ █ Ed Repka, would imply that this disc would contain █ █ 40 minutes of nu-thrash madness. This only █ █ heightens the disappointment felt upon first █ █ listen. This is heavy metal done pure and simple. █ █ For that, I commend them - I respect any band who █ █ eliminate unnecessary bells and whistles in order █ █ to focus their sound more directly. Unfortunately, █ █ Zero Down sound like they really could do with █ █ some more bells and whistles to grab the attention █ █ of those who have been bored senseless by song █ █ after song of generic, mid-tempo stomping. █ █ Okay, firstly, the pros: The production on the █ █ stringed instruments is an absolute pleasure - a █ █ nice rounded bass sound provides ample support for █ █ a simple, mellow guitar tone. The drums are █ █ definitely far too low in the mix, and the █ █ vocals...well, we'll get to them later. The █ █ gang-vocals employed by the rest of the band are █ █ nothing if not fun, and definitely enliven the █ █ blander parts of songs like "Suicide Girl" and █ █ "Devil's Thorn". The riffs, whilst mind-numbingly █ █ simple, at least contain enough energy to awaken █ █ that primal feeling which plagues most metalheads, █ █ forcing the listener to rhythmically nod in █ █ respect (opening riff to "Steve McQueen" █ █ especially). █ █ The cons? Hmm. 'Generic' really is the key word █ █ here. You are hearing nothing that hasn't already █ █ been done infinitely better by the likes of Saxon █ █ or Accept orà every NWoBHM band ever. "No Limit to █ █ the Evil" is a collection of meandering, mid-tempo █ █ rockers which rarely turn the volume up past 6 or █ █ 7. It's not awful! But it's so average, it hurts. █ █ Would it really have killed them to quicken the █ █ pace a little? Or even slow it down further? █ █ Variety is the spice of life, and this about as █ █ spicy as cream cheese. █ █ Now then, Mark Hawkinson's vocals... It appears █ █ that 70% of the time he is perfectly capable, █ █ tuneful, and in control. This is majorly let down █ █ by those times where he attempts falsetto, and █ █ just crosses the border into 'Embarrassment-land'. █ █ His lyrics are, to put it bluntly, stupid: "Blah █ █ blah blah BEER. Blah blah blah METAL. Blah blah █ █ blah WOMEN." Yawn. █ █ If you really feel you should persevere with this █ █ band - then look into their earlier releases. They █ █ are at least packed with far more variety than "No █ █ Limit to the Evil". There definitely are █ █ highlights, such as the energetic "Phantom Host" █ █ and the brilliantly-titled "Two Ton Hammer" - but █ █ they are disappointingly eclipsed by the carnival █ █ of boredom that surrounds them. Better luck next █ █ time, chaps. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Return of the Godz 5:18 ░ ░ 2. No Limit to the Evil 3:39 ░ ░ 3. Devils Thorn 4:14 ░ ░ 4. Cold Winters Night 3:28 ░ ░ 5. Leche di Tigre 4:09 ░ ░ 6. Phantom Host 3:55 ░ ░ 7. Suicide Girl 3:34 ░ ░ 8. Steve McQueen 4:09 ░ ░ 9. Two Ton Hammer 3:10 ░ ░ 10. Black Rhino 3:38 ░ ░ 39:14 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░