In their hearts, New Jersey/New York thrash exponents Zamboni wish it was 1986 (don’t we all? – misty-eyed Ed.). Then they’d be able to share stages with their heroes, counted amongst whom would doubtless be names like Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter and the Nuclear Assault.
Of course, they could still share stages with those bands in 2016 but you know what I’m getting at. Zamboni, despite being only twenty minutes long is littered with enough comic-book and nuclear devastation-related samples to almost make you believe it was recorded back in the halcyon days of crossover, with tracks like Killer Croc surely coming from the same songwriting gene pool as SOD et al.
Sonically, however, the band fall just short, sounding more like a less metallic version of Texan crossover compadres Birth AD than anything Billy Milano or Scott Ian might have had a hand in. Guitars buzz when we want them to thrash, and Chris Butera’s vocals fall consistently on the punk side of things which I can see annoying a few of the more straightforward metalheads amongst you – although I quite like them.
Still, there is a certain period charm to tracks like World War Z and Zamboni – which I’m sure is what Butera and fellow band member Robert Orr intended – and at such a short duration it’s not like you’re investing much of your hard-earned leisure time to have a listen. Worth a punt if classic crossover gets your juices throwing.
Leave A Comment