Freak Zoid is guitarist Scott McGill, drummer Ritchie DeCarlo, stick/bass players Dave Kloss & Kjell Benner, and on their recent release Returns they've also enlisted the guest talents of bassist Michael Manring and keyboard player David Saia. Most of these guys have recorded together previously under the Freak Zoid moniker or McGill's solo albums, so the synergy that you hear on Returns should come as no surprise. Plain and simple, these are master musicians, utilizing the Freak Zoid scenario to really stretch the limits of jazz-fusion as we know it here in 2013 (though this CD actually came out in 2011). McGill's savage guitar solos blaze on tracks like "All Up in This" and "The GizmoTronix" like a wild marriage of vintage John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth, while the bass & stick playing of Kloss, Benner, and Manring throughout is superb, funky, jazzy, but always on the muscular side and perfectly locked in with DeCarlo's nimble drumming. Serious grooves here folks! On "Zvuk Volny" the band channels their inner Mahavishnu Orchestra, while the lethal "Six Foot Eight" is about as metallic and heavy as fusion gets, complete with violent guitar shards from McGill, booming bass, and DeCarlo's acrobatic drum work. Another real winner here is "No Napkins", which contains some absolutely searing Robin Trower inspired guitar solos.
If you like modern fusion that isn't afraid to travel into uncharted territories or burst into avenues unknown, then Freak Zoid's Return is something you must hear!
Track Listing
1. Returns (2:58)
2. All Up In This (4:15)
3. TRNB (4:53)
4. The GizmoTronix (5:26)
5. Zvuk Volny (6:58)
6. Six Foot Eight (7:41)
7. No Napkins (9:57)
8. Ben Ali Game Over (5:39)
9. Five Zoid (6:27)
10. Vague Haus (4:44)
11. Pasted Trip (7:10)
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