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Zodiac Mindwarp: We Are Volsung

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

4.0/5.0

SPV/Steamhammer
www.myspace.com/zodiacmindwarp1
www.zodiacmindwarp.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  08.02.2010

The mythology surrounding Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Connection is the stuff of urban legend. There's the one that says that Mr. Mindwarp (Mark Manning) and his lecherous crew of porno-partiers single handedly defeated American glam rock in the late Eighties. Or, how this very fact (sic) led Motley Crue to declare them more debaucherous than they, and then to be their favorite band. Well, why not? Legends are bigger than life, right? So now Zodiac Mindwarp applies their craft to the equally grand and legendary Norse mythology with their latest We Are Volsung. But will they exchange their biker leather for pagan bearskins with fur collars?

Norse gods be damned, ZMATLR brings their ballsy biker rock to bear upon the North with a near metal vibe, quite noticeable on We Ride and Tree Rider. Then there's the purely vulgar blues meets doom metal of Kill Me a Mockingbird. It's got to be the heaviest cut on the album. Even more noticeable is a grittier, more raw and raucous feel, as heard on Don't Touch My Guitar. Then, this song leads you to wonder what this, or Lucille or Key to Your Heart for that matter, have to do with Norse mythology. I think Master Mindwarp ran out of ideas and went back to his familiar territory of gut-level street rock. Nevertheless, those songs deliver the grimy grooves that ZMATLR have always been able to add to a song. Essentially, except for Kill Me a Mockingbird, the second half of the album is exactly that: groove and hook-laden rocking metal.

The final result, with all Zodiac Mindwarp albums, is that you feel sweaty, dirty, and entertained, just like you would feel after an hour in a Texas brothel. I think you get it.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The final result, as with all Zodiac Mindwarp albums, is that We Are Volsung makes you feel sweaty, dirty, and entertained, just like you would feel after an hour in a Texas brothel.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]