Release Date: March 11th 2022. Record Label: StonerFly Records. Format: DD/Vinyl
Fear And Failure - Tracklisting
1.Washed Away 04:58
2.Long Way Gone 03:33
3.Showtime 04:36
4.Third Life 04:16
5.Running Man 03:55
6.Stone 05:38
7.August 04:26
8.Another Day to Run 03:28
9.Down The Highway 03:17
10.The Plunge 04:50
Members
Gero Von Dehn: Vocals/Guitar
Sam Pesce: Bass
Ben Zerbe: Drums/Percussion
Matthew Tuite: Guitar
Review
Fear And Failure is the new album by Grunge/Stoner Rockers ZOM and arrives four years after their last acclaimed release Nebulos. This album has allowed ZOM to bring a heavier and riffier style of delivery with their music that echoes of bands such as CLUTCH and Soundgarden.
The record has also been mastered by Grunge Legend Jack Endino with Jason Jouer handling the mixed, recording and engineering duties. So the album sounds excellent and with ZOM recording this album during the start of the pandemic. To ZOM’s credit the album remains a super upbeat experience with not many “darker” moments held on this record.
Moving between modern day Psych Stoner Rock and an almost classic Grungy Hard Rock outlook, ZOM explode aggressively at the right time with superior moments of Blues Rock based grooves that you can fully experience on Washed Away, Long Way Gone and Showtime. The vocals have that modern Stoner Rock/Metal feel whilst having an classical 80’s Hard Rock feel.
ZOM do take a few songs to inject a few trippy guitar solos into the mix with Showtime being the first standout track on the album. Showtime has an exciting “CLUTCH” approach that ZOM appear to adapt for the rest of the album but with a grungy swagger that works well with their Psychedelic grooves they lay down for this release.
Other standout tracks are: Third Life, Stone, August, Another Day To Run and Plunge
KUDOS must also goto ZOM for covering NEBULA’s classic track Down The Highway. As most bands tend to go for the more “well known” bands and I’m glad NEBULA were given the respect they fully deserve. ZOM’s cover is an interesting choice and they do their own thing with the song. Sure, it doesn’t stray far from the original but I did enjoy their “more” aggressive take on this track.
Fear And Failure is perhaps not breaking any new creative ground. However, this album is quite a relentless blend of Psych Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock that leaves you wanting more whilst kicking your ass with huge stadium sounding grooves along the way.
What more could you possibly want….
Words by Steve Howe
You can buy Fear And Failure from StoneFly Records on Vinyl now
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