Veröffentlicht am 6. Oktober 2017 von Markus W. in Honeymoon Disease, Raveneye, Zodiac, Hardrock, Rock, Alternative Rock, Photography, News, Throwback
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Zodiac, Raveneye & Honeymoon Disease, Leiden, 06.10.2016
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It was a year ago when Zodiac, Raveneye and Honeymoon Disease brought some warm and powerful rock to Leiden, Netherlands. By the way, don't miss Honeymoon Disease's upcoming release. Stay tuned for the review.
Veröffentlicht am 7. Oktober 2016 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Honeymoon Disease, Raveneye, Hardrock, Alternative Rock, Blues, Rock, Live Review, News
Leiden is a city in The Netherlands that is well known for their university. But 'leiden' also means 'suffering' in German, a double meaning that describes this Thursday evening very well.
It was at no point suffering to be part of this concert with three bands that are all great. The part that was disappointing was the amount of fans that came to Gebr. de Nobel that night. Eventhough the guys played the smaller of the two rooms there was enough space for everybody. Actually we are talking about 25-30 fans of ambitious rock music that found their way to Leiden that night. Thinking about a vivid student city in combination with some good rock'n'roll bands should actually lead to a much more packed venue.
Anyhow, that's what it was and everybody who wasn't there missed a great evening in rock.
It was Honeymoon Disease from Gothenburg, Sweden that had to go on stage first. The two girls and two boys released a pretty good record a few months ago. Now they had the chance to present it live and they used the momentum. When I saw them rocking the venue I was reminded of '77, partly due to the music but more because of the energy level they spread. Honeymoon Disease split roles quite clearly. The boys are the hard working rhythm section that makes the engine run while the girls, with their guitars, took the responsibility for the entertainment factor.
All four together nailed down a show that couldn't be much better for an opener. It's not that easy to move on a small stage but the band used every square meter for constant action and pure rock postures, ending in an grande finale with both girls laying on the ground for the last chords. A great start.
Fortunately also RavenEye could draw on some great songs, most of them from the recently released debut. The fact that the trio has been touring a lot, being opening act for bands like Slash and Deep Purple, was very present. These guys played many shows together which led to a tight performance of cool songs. This band is a strong unit that stands like a rock when it comes to the sound. The performance instead couldn't be more dynamic. I mentioned the small stage and it was obviously too small for this trio from Milton Keynes. Singer/guitarist Oli Brown was the first one that went right into the audience, performing from there and a while ago it was him and Aaron Spiers, playing piggy-back, surrounded by very surprised fans. Not to forget Brown, standing all of a sudden on the bass drum for kicking off a song. All this underlines the rising attention for these guys from the UK. I guess we will hear more of the them.
Than it was time for Zodiac. I had some hope that there might be more fans filling the venue for the four-piece from Germany. This hope was gone in a second since the amount of rock enthusiasts stayed the same during the entire concert. It must have been a bit of a 'suffering', or more a disappointment for the band but this fact didn't have any impact on their performance. It shows the professional attitude of the four guys playing for 20 people as they would have done it for 200.
That Zodiacs songs are good ones goes without saying. The guys recently released their newest album that comes with awesome music. Some of it, like the cool title track "Grain of Soul", has been played that night, mixed with older stuff. Having re-release the debut EP in a limited vinyl version means that Zodiac also added "Upon the Stone" to the setlist. All in all it was a well done choice of band highlights that peaked in an extended version of "Coming Home" from the band's debut "A Bit of Devil". This tune belongs to the best ones Zodiac has ever wrote. Starting slowly and building up to an immense rocker, that's what it is about and it's a great closer of a pretty cool show.
Mentioning 'show', Zodiac isn't about fancy effects and a lot of decoration. These guys have excellent music to offer which speaks on its own. Therefor it didn't matter that the stage was kept pretty dark, with some shades of red and blue. It's the music that does the job, also on the Thursday night in Leiden.
In the end it wasn't 'suffering' at all for all the ones that visited the show. Zodiac definitely brought it home and I hope that there will be some more fans in Eindhoven because one thing is for for sure: Zodiac and the two support bands deserve far more attention than what they had to face in Leiden.
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Content from Zodiac, Raveneye & Honeymoon Disease, Leiden, 06.10.2016
Zodiac, Raveneye & Honeymoon Disease, Leiden, 06.10.2016
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Setlist Zodiac:
Location: Gebr. de Nobel, Leiden, Netherlands
Date: October 6th, 2016
Veröffentlicht am 21. Juli 2016 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Hardrock, Blues, Classic Rock, New, CD Review, Muenster
(9/10) Zodiac belongs to this bunch of exciting bands from Muenster, Germany that entered the rock scene a few years ago, getting more and more successful by delivering good music rather than by antics and gimmicks.
Zodiac started their journey in rock not too long ago. It was in 2010 when Nick Van Delft and Janosch Rathmer kicked it off, work that resulted in a first EP in 2011.
From this moment on things just moved the right direction. The debut "A Bit of Devil" received good reactions from fans and media. The appreciation of the next two records has been even higher and I guess that this trend will continue with the newest output of the Muenster-based gang.
The music on "Grain of Soul", the title of the new longplayer, picks it up where "Sonic Child" ended. The joy of a new Zodiac album isn't that the band changes bigger things when it comes to their sound. It's more a constant development and improvement of their trademarks that gives each new longplayer a nuanced new appeal. "Grain of Soul" is no exception.
In total eleven new songs are a treat for everybody that's interested in the overlap of blues rock and classic rock. Compared to the last studio release "Sonic Child", Zodiac gets more to the point with "Grain of Soul". While the predecessor came with some longer tunes that scratched a 10 minutes length, songs on "Grain of Soul" are in general between three to four minutes.
One crucial criteria for Zodiac's success are the vocals of Van Delft. Not only that he's a really good singer, he also has a voice that is recognizable and stands out from many other singers. He has a vibe and timbre in his way of singing that covers a range of warm, soft and heavy. Songs like "Follow" and "Down" are prefect examples. Especially the latter with the strong blues expression belongs anyhow to the pearls on an album the is pure gold.
Another highlight I want to mention is the fast "Animal" that shows Zodiac from the rocking angle, enriched by some breaks that makes the whole song to a true smasher. The same goes for "Like the Sun". Also with this tune the four-piece takes the foot off the break, supported by a dominant rhythm section that gives this number an irresistible groove. It's almost a dirty rocker that marks a kind of counterpart to the epical tracks on "Sonic Child".
The final number is the title song. It's build on a heavy riff and interesting vocal lines that stand united in perfect harmony. Partly the tune sounds like a post grunge one, having a stoner vibe too. In the end it's another facet of Zodiac's sound and a well chosen title track.
If you liked the earlier releases of Zodiac you will also be happy with "Grain of Soul". And in case you haven't listened to these guys yet you should definitely start doing this with this longplayer. Close the gap.
"Grain of Soul" is an album that is joyful for more than just a few days. This album has a depth that provides the listener with music that grows over time. It's the small details, also supported by the superb production by Arne Neurand, that gives this album an exciting kick. Very well done and highly recommended.
(9/10)
Tracklist:
Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Classic Rock
Release Date EU: July 29th, 2016
Veröffentlicht am 13. Mai 2015 von Markus W. in Kamelot, Coal Chamber, Zodiac, Tour, News, Moonspell, Powerwolf, Civil War
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Veröffentlicht am 16. April 2015 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Classic Rock, Rock, Hardrock, News, CD Review
(8/10) After having released three remarkable studio albums Zodiac from Münster, Germany recorded ten live songs and put them on a new record. The risk with live albums is always that they start to become too perfect by some tuning afterwards. They lose the authentic touch and become boring.
Zodiac is a well appreciated exeption since I have the feeling that the album sounds very authentic. This doesn't mean that the sound isn't good. Not at all. "Road tapes Vol. 1" got an excellent one that shows all the fine details of Zodiac's classic rock based music.
And since the guys love what they are doing you can expect an energetic live recording that contains great songs. Talking about the tracklist, it is a mix of the three records that have been released so far. The highlights are the ten minutes long Neil Young cover "Cortez the killer" and especially the last song on the record, "Coming home". Zodiac obviously enjoys playing live and the guys uses those moments also for variation and improvisation. "Coming home", originally already ten minutes long, got even five more minutes and has partly a jam session approach.
I like "Road tapes Vol. 1" since it contains great songs, performed very tight, with an intense feeling for the moment and with an authentic sound. Live records like this are always worth to be added to a record collection.
(8/10)
Tracklist:
Label: Napalm Reords
Genre: Classic Rock
Veröffentlicht am 1. Oktober 2014 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Rock, Hardrock, Classic Rock, Video, News
News from Zodiac. The band has released a new lyric video for "Sad song", a tune from the latest album "Sonic child". Check out the song and listen to the album. It's worth it.
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ZODIAC - Sad Song (Official Lyric Video) | Napalm Records
Order "Sonic Child" now: http://shop.napalmrecords.com/zodiac This is Rock music as it could hardly be more pure and multi-faceted. The new album Sonic Child by ZODIAC could neither assign to a ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkiXGRDEP0Y&list=UUG7AaCh_CiG6pq_rRDNw72A
Source: YouTube
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CD review ZODIAC "Sonic child" - Markus' Heavy Music Blog
( 9/10) I was so curiously looking forward to the new album from Zodiac. I like the band from their debut album on. They have released already two great records which contained excellent songs and ...
http://mwiemetalblog.over-blog.com/2014/09/cd-review-zodiac-sonic-child.html
Veröffentlicht am 13. September 2014 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Hardrock, Classic Rock, Rock, Blues, CD Review, News
(9/10) I was so curiously looking forward to the new album from Zodiac. I like the band from their debut album on. They have released already two great records which contained excellent songs and now it was time for the third punch of the quartet.
If the third album is the one which defines success or being lost in the musical outer space I can conclude a gorgeous future for Zodiac.
What I like with the band is their unique mix of classic rock, blues and a bit of metal. Their music has an own identity. You recognise their tunes immediatley. It demands a lot to achieve this.
"Sonic child" comes one year after the very successful "A hidden place". Twelve songs are a treat for your ears .
It starts with an intro that is already special. It begins with some spoken words that couldn't describe 'music' much better ("It is the love of my life, my best friend and true companion,...). In the background you can hear some keyboards and a bassline that develops into laid-back instrumental. A very cool start of the album. It gets harder with "Swinging on the run". The title is translated into the music perfectly by the galloping beat and a lot of drive.
The title track was published already earlier a first single and is a highlight on the album. It has an excellent melody line and a groove that makes you move. The vocals from Nick van Delft are a gift for the band which becomes very obvious in "Sonic child". It's the warmth in his voice and power that adds so much to the entire sound of Zodiac.
Another true moment of the album is "Rock bottom blues". And like the title suppose it's blues what you get. A slow and touching anthem with great keyboards and a blues guitar that characterize this tune. It belongs to best ones the band has ever written. And again it's the vocals from van Delft, reminding partly to Chris Rea, that makes a difference. But also the guitar soli are breath-taking. I got goose bumps when I heard the tune.
Zodiac includes also a bit of country bluesy elements into their sound. "A penny and a dead horse" could be from a Clint Eastwood western. If you close you eyes you can see the duelists in the midday heat with bales of straw blown through the village by the warm breeze.
"Shine", the last song, is a well chosen track. It seems that the songs is a kind of summary of all you have heard before. It rocks pretty much, it has the blues elements and reminds to classic rock too by listening to some guitar lines.
"Sonic child" is the best album from Zodiac so far. If they continue like this I guess they will have a glorious future. The only thing I can say more is a quote from the intro, that says it all: "...now sit back and listen."
(9/10)
Tracklist:
Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Hardrock
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Brand new - "Sonic child" video from ZODIAC - Markus' Heavy Music Blog
An awesome new track from Zodiak. Those guys really know how to write damn cool rock songs. The found their own style and deliver with &Sonic child& another statement that underlines this fact ...
http://mwiemetalblog.over-blog.com/2014/08/sonic-child-video-from-zodiac.html
Veröffentlicht am 27. August 2014 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Rock, Hardrock, Alternative Rock, Video, News
An awesome new track from Zodiak. Those guys really know how to write damn cool rock songs. The found their own style and deliver with "Sonic child" another statement that underlines this fact. Check it out and stay tuned for the new album which will be out mid September.
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ZODIAC - Sonic Child (Official Video) | Napalm Records
Pre-order "Sonic Child" now: http://shop.napalmrecords.com/zodiac This is Rock music as it could hardly be more pure and multi-faceted. The new album Sonic Child by ZODIAC could neither assign to a
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zf3qYnqfHI&list=PLidIjcybOMhxeUEXA2sj-J1kXQhon_3ER
Source: YouTube
Photo: Napalm Record (Promo)
Veröffentlicht am 6. November 2013 von Markus W. in Grand Magnus, Zodiac, The Vintage Caravan, Audrey Horne, News, Tour
Under the header "Rock revelation" the following package tours through Europe next spring: Grand Magnus, Audrey Horne, Zodiac and The Vintage Caravan. A cool package...
Source: Pirate Smile (Promo)
Veröffentlicht am 3. November 2013 von Markus W. in Zodiac, Tour, News, Classic Rock
Source: Napalm Records
Veröffentlicht am 18. Oktober 2013 von Markus W. in CD Review, Zodiac, Classic Rock
(8/10) Napalm Records comes out in those weeks with two great new albums. Next to Monster Magnet also Zodiac will release their new album. I was already impressed by their debut, but the new one, called "A hiding place" is even better. Zodiac plays awesome classic rock and the album has 8 killer and one opener :-)
It's actually the opener, which is not really my favorite eventhough it is a good song. But I just don't get into it. It starts with almost an AC/DC rhythm from "Who made who" and is a cool song, but the chorus doesn't fit to my ears.all the other songs are just excellent. "Free" has a great hookline and can became a live anthem of the band. "Underneath my bed" grooves like hell. Just listen to the hammond organ. Love it. "Leave me blind" is a relaxed song, a ballad with dominating vocals of Nick van Delft. The songs actually sounds like agood version of an Rea Garvey/Chris Rea song. What an emotion. "Moonshine" comes with aslow and pounding beat, before it gets a bit slower again. "Believer" is more in line with "Leave me blind". "I wanna know" has a part one and a part two. The first part starts with acoustic guitars before the heavy riff kills brings power into the song. Part two is the continuation and is also a mix out of more silent parts combined with some heavy eruptions. The song has also a cover version. The last song is called "Cortez the killer". It's the cover from the Neil Young and for me it's a perfect version. I like it.
Resumee: Go for it!
(8/10)
Tracklist:
Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Classic Rock
Veröffentlicht am 21. August 2013 von Markus W. in Zodiac, News, Hardrock, Heavy Metal
German band Zodiac is working on the second album. After "A bit of devil" they will release "A hiding place" end of October.
Tracklist:
1. Downtown
2. Free
3. Underneath My Bed
4. Leave Me Blind
5. Moonshine
6. Believer
7. I Wanna Know Part 1
8. I Wanna Know Part 2
9. Cortez The Killer (Neil Young Cover)
10. Sleep Of The Hollow (Digipak Bonus Track)
11. Leave Me Blind (Extended) (Digipak Bonus Track)
Photo: Napalm Records
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