The best thing about a review, is that it is an opinion. That being said, let me give you mine on the new disc be ZERO HOUR. This is ZERO HOUR's second full length release for Sensory, and having not heard the first, I can only judge by what I hear on this second disc. What I hear is a band stuck between genres. They can't seem to decide if they want to be 'math', 'technical', 'progressive', or all of the above. The structure of the pieces of music presented here is odd, ranging from an all-out audio attack to an intricate prog-psych interlude and back again, almost where it doesn't seem to fit. In fact, I have a hard time seeing where any of this fits.

I'd say the vocals are clean, that is if I could hear them because they are way back in the mix. The guy that let this drummer buy his double-bass kicker should be shot, likewise the producer who let this headache-inducing mix happen. No doubt they are all good musicians, but I had a hard time making out the guitar and bass with the drums being pushed down my throat. The production debauchery aside, the overall mood of the record seems very depressing. There are no moments of levity or any thing to break the feel of the record into manageable chunks. I could barely take it from beginning to end. Technical progressive metal? Sure, you could call it that, but I call it like I see it, and this is pure crap. Even without the vocals in the few instrumentals on the record, they cut the guitar parts way back in favor of more progressive elements that just leave things sounding cold and flaccid. Cold and flaccid is good for leftover pizza, not metal. When listening to this, I felt like holding up a sign reading, "Help me! I don't deserve to be tortured like this!" Break it down guys, and lighten up. Nobody likes a 'Gloomy Gus'.

- Murtaugh

OFFICIAL SITE: www.zerohourweb.com

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