Zero Hour

Debuts can be a rather interesting proposition, especially after listening to a band’s later, more popular works. Where albums such as Coma Nation and Apostles of Defiance showcase Jeff Loomis-esque riffing with some Andy LaRocque style shredding, Zero Hour is closer to that of what old mate Jeff Waters was doing back in the first few Annihilator albums. But really, it’s like if Set the World on Fire riffed a bit more like Alice in Hell. Like, it’s got that overly melodic edge to it like the former, but occasionally has some more technical riffs and song structures more closely resembling the latter. On that note, Zero Hour is the perfect successor to the initial Annihilator trilogy… if nothing else, it’s better than basically every Annihilator album since Set the World on Fire.

Sure, songs like “Zero Hour” and “Pain”, with their infectious grooves, might seem like dead ringers for one of their later albums. But given the not-so thick production and an inclination towards even more deceptively complex rhythms, they find themselves standing out from that pack. “Zero Hour”, in particular, more or less screams Annihilator with its verse riffs. Same with “When Will it End” and its riffs. Not to mention the shreddy solos here and there. For instance, the aforementioned “When Will it End” has Slav Simanic shred his guts out and it sounds fuckin’ killer as a result. Excellent way to open an album. Not to mention “Stranded”, with that fully neoclassical opening solo before heading into a razor-sharp set of mid-paced thrash riffs. This shit shreds no matter which way you look at it, yet they coalesce into these catchy, overly hooky grooves that hardly let up.

Glen Drover certainly delivers when it comes to the riff assault, but alongside Simanic, the riffs come across a bit more multi-layered. A lot of it can be found in the whirlwind of riffs that is “Eye of the Storm” as it twists and turns between its various solos, although songs like “Blood Rain” with the juxtaposition of its hard-hitting speed metal riffs and a more off-kilter mid-paced break lend it extra credence in that department. “In Memory” ebbs and flows between its crunchy grooves, ramping up to an equally crunchy speedier riff before going into some crazy soloing, escalating more and more until the ending reprisal of the verse bit. The guitars pile onto you like it’s nothing. Most other songs on this album basically do the same thing and where it could’ve amounted to fuck all but merely a collection of ideas, it instead flows smoothly like a river. Above all else, you like riffs and solos – especially when they manifest into overly melodic joints – Zero Hour is the album for you.

While it’s a very guitar-centric album, you do get some of those more atmospheric moments throughout, like in the middles of “When Will it End” and “Zero Hour”, or the beginning of “Stranded” where the sounds are a bit more ominous and the solos’ overall tone reflects it well. “In Memory” offers a more contemplative intro with how the acoustic guitar’s arranged before heading into more down-tempo grooves throughout the rest of the song. I’d love to the say that the three instrumentals on this album maintain this, but “Eye of the Storm” is more like you’re sucked into a tornado of solos that’s shredding your insides, and “The Golden Cencer” and “Fortress” – try as they might with their acoustic guitar riffs to be atmospheric – come across more like filler instrumentals.

Suppose, if I could pick on this album for anything besides a couple of filler instrumentals – not to mention ending on one of them, even with the sort of joke bit at the end if you let it play out in full, it’s still a bit weak honestly – Brian Soulard’s vocals aren’t exactly the best. There are times where can bellow out some commanding lines like in “Zero Hour”; there are times where his default lighter tone amplifies the mood like in “Pain” and “In Memory”; and then there are times where they’re rather flat and not quite suiting of the music like in “Blood Rain” and their cover of Black Sabbath’s “Hole in the Sky”. Hmm, his vocals not sounding too great amidst a heavier sound…

...anyway, the main strength behind Zero Hour really is in its riffs. But unlike a lot of their later work, Eidolon manage to work them into some highly melodic, oftentimes infectious tunes full of flair and fire.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Annihilator's "Set the World on Fire" at times, Eidolon's debut album has some great thrash moments but is overrun with mediocrity for most of the album despite attempts at being an amazing debut. It's definitely not a bad album by any means - and it is a thrash precursor to their more progressive style they came later to have. It's a solid album on its own but there are no exciting or intense tracks that jump out and snag the listener.

The album has some great melodic thrash metal guitar work. Being the strongest part of the album, the guitars definitely steal the show and take you for a ride. The riffing is complex and catchy and will have most headbangers asking for more. The leads well played with plenty of quick fret work and great melodic writing that keeps the pace of the music. The solos are good but one can tell it's a young band and the art of soloing hasn't quite come to them. Some of the solos seem a tad off with the direction of the song. Some slow melodic sections grace the years and give a variety to the music. The track, "In Memory" has a wonderful and emotive beginning before cranking into a heavy laden riff that takes us into the rest of the song. This tells us that Eidolon does have some good writing abilities but sadly they aren't fully explored on Zero Hour.

The bass is pretty heavy on the album and can easily be picked out from the rest of the music. Personally, I find this a nice touch that the band isn't afraid to "mix out the bass" or try to have the bass player just follow along with the guitar parts. The bass isn't anything too special and in the end ends up following a lot of the good riffs but keeps a time when the solos or larger leads come into play.

The drums are simple but effective. Knowing this is Shawn Drover really disappoints because the man is a very skilled drummer and he never really struts his stuff on any of the material. I am a fan of "play for the music" and the drums do fit the style of the album quite well and are mostly a rhythm keeper for the music being played. He does have a great variety with some good speedy tracks with lots of bass (Blood Rain) as opposed to his usual 1-2 pack he does on much of the album. He does have his moments at times like on "Eye of the Storm".

The vocals are good and fit...but they definately are nothing great. He does the job and gets it done but there really isn't any flair to the performance on the album. He doesn't sound like he really cares. He also has his moments (like most of the album there are moments but never consistencies) and he can hit a high note every once in a while but really most of the best tracks are the instrumentals. His higher range does reflect the era of 80s thrash but he really has trouble flowing with the band most of the time.

Overall it's a pretty good debut from Eidolon. Knowing where they go from this point makes one understand the good qualities of the album but in the end it's pretty lackluster compared to their other albums. For fans of Eidolon and some good classic melodic thrash.

Songs to check out: Eye of the Storm, Zero Hour, When Will This End.