You may remember a while back I reviewed a band called HYBRID 6.0…a Southampton based electro/industrial outfit who have slowly been branching out into the UK’s underground club scene, well, their guitarist, Jude 1:8, has branched out himself as it happens and started up a side project of his own; ZEN JUDDHISM. The term project couldn’t be more appropriate, as his debut self-titled album sees him collaborate with a number of various vocalists resulting in a diverse offering of musical styles…artistic vision or lack of real direction? Let’s find out…
We kick things off with “Chocolate Cake” which seems a good a place to start as any, until you hear the vocals of Marlene Rodriguez that is…at the very best they sound no more than live demo quality and really rather off…which is a shame because the track is backed by some incredibly slick guitar work, it’s got a very classic-rock inspired sound and musically at least, is good. “Want To Be Free” sees Naomi Terry take over on vocal duties which makes for a pleasant adjustment, her voice is cleaner, far clearer and far more polished, however…the track sadly suffers from being really quite bland. “Concrete Beat” is a welcome highlight, with Marlene returning but sounding more in her comfort zone, the rhythm of the song and its general tone suiting her vocal style more so and it benefits the track greatly. A nice solo too...
“Heart Removal” takes things up a notch with a notably heavier performance by male vocalist Andy Thomas, but chorus aside, it’s almost as if he’s over doing it…it all sounds excessive. The track itself isn't that heavy, so really he’s just shouting a lot of the time and again, it’s a bit off, before Lord Lav takes the mic for “Clash From Oblivion”. More early 90’s hip-hop in style, it’s an interesting inclusion and at least shows the willingness to experiment different genres, eventually ending up on “Temporary”, a slow, slightly grunge rock number performed by Opkar Hans. Ultimately, this type of record is hard to put a finger on…Jude has shown here his passion for creating music knows no boundaries, as he’s prepared to dabble in a multitude of styles, which can only be applauded, but, and this is the project's downfall…he really should have chosen some better vocalists to work with. Musically, his guitar work that drives the album is fine, it’s those he’s collaborated with that have let him down here, and it’s a shame as he plays and writes well. [4]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZenJuddhism
We kick things off with “Chocolate Cake” which seems a good a place to start as any, until you hear the vocals of Marlene Rodriguez that is…at the very best they sound no more than live demo quality and really rather off…which is a shame because the track is backed by some incredibly slick guitar work, it’s got a very classic-rock inspired sound and musically at least, is good. “Want To Be Free” sees Naomi Terry take over on vocal duties which makes for a pleasant adjustment, her voice is cleaner, far clearer and far more polished, however…the track sadly suffers from being really quite bland. “Concrete Beat” is a welcome highlight, with Marlene returning but sounding more in her comfort zone, the rhythm of the song and its general tone suiting her vocal style more so and it benefits the track greatly. A nice solo too...
“Heart Removal” takes things up a notch with a notably heavier performance by male vocalist Andy Thomas, but chorus aside, it’s almost as if he’s over doing it…it all sounds excessive. The track itself isn't that heavy, so really he’s just shouting a lot of the time and again, it’s a bit off, before Lord Lav takes the mic for “Clash From Oblivion”. More early 90’s hip-hop in style, it’s an interesting inclusion and at least shows the willingness to experiment different genres, eventually ending up on “Temporary”, a slow, slightly grunge rock number performed by Opkar Hans. Ultimately, this type of record is hard to put a finger on…Jude has shown here his passion for creating music knows no boundaries, as he’s prepared to dabble in a multitude of styles, which can only be applauded, but, and this is the project's downfall…he really should have chosen some better vocalists to work with. Musically, his guitar work that drives the album is fine, it’s those he’s collaborated with that have let him down here, and it’s a shame as he plays and writes well. [4]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZenJuddhism
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