For the most part, I consistently cover a lot of the same type of things on this blog. Most of the bands are same (Sabbath, Ozzy, Floyd, Zeppelin, etc.). I try to highlight as many different pressings and releases as I can get and find interesting, and there really is too much stuff to buy and keep up with. Updates are once a week with a review, and those generally land on the weekends. None of that will change, but I am going to try and add something different to the mix as well. Every once and in a while, midweek, I’ll cover something totally different. Think more along the lines of indie artists here… but only when something good pops up on the radar. I’ll add a Midweek Category and an Indie one as well to keep everything sorted out. Maybe you’ll find something you like?
I figured a good way to get started would be with a record I received recently from a band based out of Lynn, Massachusetts. For years, I lived next door in Salem Mass, right in the heart of Derby Wharf. After a while, I got sick of people trying to climb in my windows looking for witches and whatever else, and people driving the wrong way up Derby Street. In the years since I’ve been gone, I have come to miss it. Every time I’m back though, it feels like a place that dreamed me, then woke and forgot. It’s true what they say, in that you can never really go home. That and it’s probably cheaper to live on the moon at this point. But anyway, this is Z28 with AM Gold.
I’ve never seen these guys play live, and this LP is really my first exposure to their music. I have friends who also play on the North Shore music scene who have seen them play, and I always get good reports. As far as a music style, their Bandcamp page has tags like “doom rock”, “fuzz rock” “metal” “stoner rock” and “thrash”. After listening very closely, I can’t say that I would have placed them in any of these genres. Stoner Rock is probably the closest, but I think even that might be a stretch. I guess for me, it sounds more like good rock music, but there’s more there than that too. If there was a genre of rock that is modern, but still preserves the feeling of classic rock, that would be it. Maybe. This is a long way of saying that if you like the stuff I usually cover on this blog, you might like this too.
The record itself is very nice. It’s a single LP on standard black wax with a full color jacket, and mine came sealed in an outer sleeve with a cool hype sticker. I really like the artwork, which I believe is a real photo. It definitely gives retro vibes (along with the band name and the name of the album), so these guys know what they’re going for. The disc itself has got a nice weight to it, and the labels look good. Mine had no visible defects or scratches and looked pretty clean, but I cleaned it in the ultrasonic and VPI like I normally do. I switched the inner sleeve to a rice paper one, and I can’t remember if the original was poly-lined or not. Everything looked good, so I gave it a spin.
Right away, I noticed the production is certainly professional. The pressing itself seems to be a little quiet, and I found myself turning up the volume a couple of times. This really isn’t a big deal, but I figured it’s worth mentioning. Content wise, you’ll notice that this isn’t your average bar band. The organ and catchy guitar riff on “Rat Race” are a definite highlight of Side A for me. The main guitar solo reminds a bit of Tony Iommi as far as the tracking goes. In songs like “War Pigs”, he would often have two different lead lines that overlap, which really gives songs a nice texture. There’s also a nice outro solo here that I think guitar fans are going to enjoy.
Arriving at “AM Gold” itself, which is the title track of the album, I once again found myself really loving the intro. The organ and keys add such a cool element to this album as a whole. A lot of bands tend to overuse them if they have access, but in this case, it’s very tastefully done. We also get a cool Casey Kasem sample, which you can never have enough of these days. There seemed to be several different vocalists on the album, and I did check the credits at this point to make sure I wasn’t going crazy hearing several different voices. Indeed, there are four different singers listed, which is unusual in a world where it’s hard enough to find one person who is willing to sing. Z28 certainly takes a full band approach to the vocal duties, which is sort of refreshing and keeps you guessing a little bit as to what the next track will sound like.
On Side B, there are only two tracks, but they are both pretty long. “Walking Your Last Mile” clocks in at nearly ten minutes, and “Set The Controls For The Heart Of No One” at just over eight. Set The Controls is a pretty cool Floyd reference that readers are sure to recognize, and to me, the guitar solo on this track actually sounds a little Gilmour-ish. With several tempo changes and powerful, driving drums and bass, I think this was a good choice to end with. Looking back, this one is probably my favorite track on the record.
Overall, AM Gold is a deserving album with a great vinyl pressing. The packaging is definitely a solid 10/10 and the pressing at least a 9/10. I didn’t have any issues with surface noise at all, but as I mentioned, I think it could have been a bit louder. For an album rating, you are going to have to make that judgement for yourself. Luckily, you can head over to the Z28 Bandcamp page and stream everything for free to make up your mind. You can also order the LP or purchase the album digitally and download it in either FLAC (nice) or MP3 (don’t do that). You will also discover that there are two additional songs available that were excluded (almost certainly because they just wouldn’t fit) from the record. I haven’t checked these tracks out yet, and I’m not sure if the band would consider them bonus tracks or necessary listening to get the full album experience.
You can also check out the Residency Records website and order AM Gold from there or go pick yourself up a copy in person if you happen to be in Salem. Halloween has already started there though, so exercise due caution. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Happy listening.