Zpangled Henz self-titled four-track EP rips an even bigger hole than the massive one left by the cell-phone-recorded-demo of last year.
Exploding with a vibe similar to early Venom in production the similarities end there as Zpangled Henz take rock ‘n’ roll to a whole new level of fast raucous punk riot resulting in a cacophony of joyous mayhem that if the listener finds time to take a breath stands out for the intricacy found in every musical aspect. Guitar, bass or drums, whichever one there’s some serious shit going on that terms like ‘killer riffs, driving bass and rapid-fire drumming’ just don’t do justice to; the end result, a punk as fuck tour de force.
The opening to track one ‘Banned from the Lake’ is akin to the moment a box of lit matches is thrown into a gasoline drenched firework factory and everyone stands back in anticipation of the ensuing cluster-fuck of chaos. The only problem with the metaphor being the afore mentioned high-level musicianship; though it can be safely said it certainly applies literally to the area front of stage anytime I’ve seen Zpangled Henz live.
The rampage continues into ‘Beers (And a Bottle of Rum)’, a shade of SHAM 69 in the mix reinforcing the comment left on Facebook about being able to smell the spilled beer in the sound.
‘Baghead in My Kitchen’ is an instantly infectious oi anthem; utterly relentless in being the epitome of an aggressive energy that can actually put a smile on the face.
‘Tory Story’ mangles its way into life with a dark edge leaving no doubt that this time the aggression isn’t f-ing around as it erupts into a full frontal assault taking no prisoners in its politics-driven rampage.
Unlike the earlier demo that found time for a laidback moment of dub, everything here remains raw and relentless throughout while also being consistent with the intricacies; the aspect perhaps highlighting this paradox best being the seven-minutes-twenty-seven-seconds total length; when noticing the time, it came as big surprise to realise so much had happened in such a short amount of it.
There’s something about the sound saying slow it right down and it’ll be Jimi Hendrix, a finesse in the fury showing punk can very much be sophisticated not just as much as any other aspect, but while also being that other aspect too. A big part of me can’t wait to hear what Zpangled Henz do next; while at the same time the sentiment feels slightly disingenuous when this EP is plenty enough in its own right (for the record, I did drop the speed randomly and got something more reminiscent of the stoner/doom/sludge of Electric Wizard!).
Zpangled Henz:
- Dan Digby Guitar/Vox
- Jago Farrell-Sloane Bass/Vox
- Nate Krish Thavarajah Drums
Links:
Contact Zpangled Henz direct for physical form.
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N. P. Ryan
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