➤ ZONAL, from p.24
continued the aesthetic of
“Brotherhood of the Bomb,”
if not its exact sound, under
the name The Bug, producing
abrasive dancehall reggae
as well as a collaboration
with the drone-metal band
Earth.
Moor Mother has frequently
used sci-fi imagery, going
back to her debut ep “Animals
screw in space.” On this album,
the idea of “Alien Within”
ties more to the alienation
of feeling like a stranger on
this planet than the thrill of
making contact with others.
With its slow tempos, metallic
percussion, and massive low
end, the whole album feels
like a portrait of depression.
Both Broadrick and Martin
have discussed their mental
health issues; the original
incarnation of Godfl esh split
up because Broadrick had a
nervous breakdown.
“Stargazer” closes the
album with a fuzzed-out
drone that sounds like multiracked
static. “Body of Wire”
began it with similar sounds,
but at least it had a more
audible human presence. It
also promises something:
Moor Mother says, “Behold
the masterpiece.” Their video
for “In a Cage” preserves a
mystique. Moor Mother is the
only member who appears in
it, and she’s hidden behind a
mask most of the time. Even
when her face is shown, she
sits on a bare stage, bathed
in red light.
While working for Virgin
Records (which released
Techno Animal’s second album
“Re-Entry”), Martin got
the label to release landmark
jazz fusion and dub reggae
compilations. The latter hovers
as an inspiration over
“Wrecked.”
Without resorting to copying
its techniques of raising
instruments up and down in
the mix or drenching the music
in reverb, Zonal captures
a similar feeling of creeping
dread.
“System Error” repeats
Rastafarian imagery about
Babylon representing the
corruption of the modern
world. Their music frequently
loops Moor Mother’s voice in
the background as a faint
echo.
As a much different infl uence,
“In a Cage” quotes the
Smashing Pumpkins’ “Bullet
with Butterfl y Wings.”
“Wrecked” suggests the infl
uence of Swans’ molasses
pace and overbearing feel,
but unlike that New York
group Zonal aren’t playing
rock music.
“Medulla” might be the
most punishing song on
“Wrecked.” Almost eight
minutes long, it’s paced like
a dirge and based around
an enormous but slightly
muffl ed snare drum pounding
as if Phil Collins is in hell
and thunderous synthesizers.
Moor Mother repeats her
mantra, “I spit this shit like
I got a bounty on my head/
They want me dead, motherfuckers…
I’m a fugitive.” The
song’s imagery brings up the
history of runaway slaves.
“Catalyst” is even more
overtly political, referring to
America’s long history of sexism
and racism — “If you was
black, you was a fraction” —
and offering tentative hints
of hope and grace.
“Wrecked” is a demanding
listen. It runs 64 minutes and
while its individual songs are
striking, it was made to be
heard in one sitting rather
than placed on a playlist. I
may be over-reaching to see
a narrative in it, but at least
its mood and level of ambition
sustain such an interpretation.
While recent fi lms like
“First Man” and “Ad Astra”
have taken strong, silent
white men into space, Zonal
and Moor Mother (whose
second solo album “Analog
Fluids of Sonic Black Holes”
comes out on November 8)
open the arena up to an anger
and disenchantment expressed
by people who don’t
look like Ryan Gosling and
Brad Pitt.
ZONAL | “Wrecked” | Relapse
Records | Drops Oct. 25
| relapse.com
GayCityNews.com | October 24 - November 6, 2019 39
/relapse.com
/GayCityNews.com
