{"id":47462,"date":"2014-12-17T13:44:47","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T18:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=47462"},"modified":"2014-12-17T15:05:48","modified_gmt":"2014-12-17T20:05:48","slug":"zero-down-no-limit-to-the-evil-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/zero-down-no-limit-to-the-evil-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Zero Down | No Limit to the Evil<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller<\/span>
\n– Managing Editor —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"evil\"Before you hear note one on Zero Down\u2019s new release, No Limit to the Evil<\/em>, you know you are in for a freakin\u2019 Metal joy ride \u2026 and that\u2019s just based on the artwork! As on two of their prior three studio albums, the insane Preacher Man (or a version of) is featured on the cover, holding snakes and standing in an almost barren cornfield in front of a crucifix while the church and land burns to destruction behind him. And that grin on his face is enough to scare Dick Cheney \u2026 maybe. Really, there\u2019s no limit to the Metal with Zero Down, and here they prove it once again \u2026 <\/p>\n

Zero Down loves riffs. Chunky, fat, blazing riffs that snap your head back and forth without your own volition. The new album starts off with serious riffing and some majestic leads on \u201cReturn of the Godz.\u201d First there\u2019s riffs, and then there\u2019s screams, as lead singer Hawk wails in a manic falsetto just to set the tone. When the gents are all shouting along to the refrain, \u201cThere\u2019s something in the sky \u2026 we\u2019re all gonna die!\u201d it\u2019s one of those fistful of metal moments. This is how all albums should start. <\/p>\n

You get a pumping rhythm from bassist Ron Banner and drummer Chris Gohde on the title track next. If Judas Priest decided to inject a song with human growth hormone, it\u2019d sound something like \u201cNo Limit to the Evil.\u201d Hawk sings with a sinister sneer on the higher notes and then just shouts out the chorus. Zero Down plays everything with a fevered masculinity, and the only deft touch on this song comes on the brief solos and leads from guitarists Lenny Burnett and Matt Fox, who as a team, rip. <\/p>\n

You are going to feel a \u201870s vibe on the opening riffs to \u201cCold Winter\u2019s Night,\u201d a song that needs to be in some damn horror film yesterday, if not sooner. \u201cI know what you did on that cold winter\u2019s night!\u201d damns Hawk during the chorus. The story here is someone shooting his \u201cbaby\u2019s mama down\u201d in various scenarios, which to be honest \u2026 doesn\u2019t taste like Metal. But it\u2019s still fun as hell, as is everything Zero Down creates. And check the solo; guitar enthusiasts will froth at the maw over this track. <\/p>\n

While most of the songs are straight ahead, somewhat NWOBHM-influenced Metal compositions, when you get to \u201cSuicide Girl\u201d you are ready for something else \u2026 and boy do you get it! The songwriter Burnett admitted to Hardrock Haven he was going for a bit of an \u201880s Scorpions vibe on that song, and sonically, you get exactly that. Vocally, though, Hawk only sings with his power turned on its highest level, so you get almost a punk-hued \u201880s Hair Metal song. Is that a thing? It is now \u2026 and it\u2019s the best song on the release. <\/p>\n

Why wouldn\u2019t Zero Down write a song about the actor Steve McQueen? Known for his cool irreverent action roles, in movies like The Towering Inferno and The Getaway, the dude certainly deserves an ode. \u201cSteve McQueen\u201d is that ode, a pumping and pummeling bruiser. And the lyrics are adventurous as hell too, especially the phrase \u201cBlood \u2026 soaked in bourbon!\u201d It kicks all kinds of ass. Twice. <\/p>\n

The blazing \u201cTwo Ton Hammer\u201d is next, which may have the biggest sing-along chorus on the release. That whole \u201cYou gotta know, you gotta know, you gotta know right now!\u201d is catchier than Ebola at a cannibal caf\u00e9. <\/p>\n

Did you expect a ballad to close things out? Well don\u2019t, because \u201cBlack Rhino\u201d is the end of the trip and it\u2019s more searing, galloping Metal. Hawk sings REALLY angry here, as close to Thrash vocals as you\u2019ve ever heard him. \u201cBlack Rhino\u201d is really the fusion of NWOBHM and Thrash, because once you get to the solo, things tamper down slightly and go with first a Classic Metal solo before ripping into a more shredding solo. The crescendo at the end will boil your blood, especially if there\u2019s bourbon in it. <\/p>\n

Over the years, Zero Down has honed the exact sound they are going for. They are Metal, but they don\u2019t really sound like any other band making music today. And if you\u2019ve had the luck to see them live, they can do everything live that you hear from their studio work. No Limit to the Evil<\/em> is just another wicked notch in the metallic belt of this underrated, Seattle-based band. Take that horrific Preacher Man\u2019s word for it. <\/p>\n

Genre: Heavy Metal<\/p>\n

Lineup:
\nLenny Burnett \u2013 Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Vocals
\nMatt Fox \u2013 Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Vocals
\nRon E. Banner \u2013 Bass, Vocals
\nChris Gohde \u2013 Drums
\nMark \u201cHawk\u201d Hawkinson \u2013 Lead Vocals & Screams<\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n1 Return of the Godz
\n2 No Limit to the Evil
\n3 Devil\u2019s Thorn
\n4 Cold Winters Night
\n5 Leche di Tigre
\n6 Phantom Host
\n7 Suicide Girl
\n8 Steve McQueen
\n9 Two Ton Hammer
\n10 Black Rhino<\/p>\n

Label: Minotauro Records<\/p>\n

Online: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Zero-Down-Fan-Page\/262964899318 <\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller – Managing Editor — Before you hear note one on Zero Down\u2019s new release, No Limit to the Evil, you know you are in for a freakin\u2019 Metal joy ride \u2026 and […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":47463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10848],"tags":[2317,2491,10400,10399,10398],"class_list":{"0":"post-47462","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2014","8":"tag-cd-review","9":"tag-heavy-metal","10":"tag-minotauro-records","11":"tag-no-limit-to-the-evil","12":"tag-zero-down"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}