Zico Chain – ‘These Birds Will Kill Us All’ (Degenerate Music)
CD Reviews
Written by Johnny H
Monday, 12 October 2009 15:29
This brand spanking new Dave Eringa (Manic St Preachers, Idlewild) produced three track EP from London’s bravest sons of song Zico Chain sees the band building on the quality post grunge sounds of their killer debut album ‘Flood’ and twisting the musical knife into a whole new arsenal of killer riffs and choruses.
Lead track ‘These Birds Will Kill Us All’ is three minutes and fifteen seconds of agitated guitar frenzy for a nation of disaffected youth to marvel in. The chorus bringing to mind the dynamic and non-conformist attitude of band members Chris Glithero, Paul Frost and Oli Middleton in an immediately memorable refrain.
Tracks two and three – ‘Bile And Blood’ and ‘Daycase’, respectively – showcase something of the year out transitional period Zico Chain have just emerged one step ahead of the game from. The bristling ‘Flood’-like attitude of ‘Bile And Blood’ is interspersed with one of the most furious lyrical raps I’ve heard this year, and the thunderous ten second solo from Paul is some of his best guitar work yet. ‘Daycase’ meanwhile, is something altogether new for Zico Chain sounding almost like a happy Pogues; this tower of power is all over in just over one minute and thirty seconds but the instantly insane “all fucked up and covered in blood” lyrics stay for a whole lot longer.
It’s essential to have bands like Zico Chain here in the UK, it gives you a sense of purpose and a reason to still believe we do still make some fucking great music in this country.