Captain Zero – Disarray In Unison
Self released – 2024
Rock, Grunge, Noise, Stoner
Rated: ****
You want to hang with Captain Zero? You’re in the need for some grungy and noisy ruckus straight out of Bristol, UK. Well, get on board with their debut ten track album Disarray In Unison. It’s a no brainer to be honest. The ten tracks all have this high energy alternative stoner rocking, garage trucking, nineties mucking explosiveness. And when you end your debut album, instead of starting it, with the two singles already out, you’ve got my undying allegiance. And even more so, when you then get that surprise kick by damn fine opening track Hello Pickle. The way their dense, grunge sound opens up by that one pretty little guitar ditty two thirds of the way, during that third break is stunning and gives the track that undeniable breath of air, and a moment to look forward to. For the most part the ten tracks on Disarray In Unison are proudly nasty though, hooky hard rock that harkens back to punk as much as it pays homage to grunge. And together with those metal tones turns it all into some muscular menace you never knew you needed. Something grunge perhaps never really was. But the galloping melodic thundering on Cloudhood, that punk explosion on Badidas, Day Of The Duh with that Nirvana reminiscent tone, it all breathes a love for what the grunge saga gave us. And the way they translated it into a sound meant for the now, meant for the heavy underground outbreak that went out of its way to encapsulate so many more genres, is extremely well done and absolutely laudable. Fuzzlepuck, the track that leans most towards stoner and metal, uncompromising in its delivery, trash-dappled whenever the vocals and drums crash around, is that perfect middle album centerpiece, showing chops, style and attitude. And Captain Zero has all of that and the perfect tempest like battering drummer to propel this pirate ship forwards… And straight into the arms of Sub Pop Records one would imagine…
(Written by JK)
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