Zed - Trouble In Eden (2016)

Genre - Hard Rock / Blues / Stoner Rock

Label - Ripple Music

Track listing:

01. Royale
02. Save You from Yourself
03. The Only True Thing
04. Today Not Tomorrow
05. Trouble in Eden
06. Blood of the Fallen
07. High Indeed
08. So Low
09. Across the Sea
10. The Mountain

San Francisco Bay Area's Zed takes it cues from the greats like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, and mixes them with their other musical influences such as Clutch, Rage Against the Machine and Queens of the Stone Age. With this mixture, Zed crafts a sound that is new, yet familiar and are bringing back the guts, the grit and the balls to Rock. And they won't stop until they succeed. At least in getting drunk and having a good time. And I have to say at times they do remind me of fellow San Franciscan's Trouble.

“Trouble In Eden” is Zed’s third album, is their first for Ripple Music.
“Royale” starts the album off in grand fashion, and it’s strong yet melodic. Vocalist Pete Sattari really shines from the off set too. “Save You From Yourself” is a riff-heavy, pummelling, brute of a blues song! “The Only True Thing” follows a similar formula, but it has more of a hook to the chorus. “Today Not Tomorrow” which  leans on Black Sabbath’s "Supernaut", has a laid-back feel until the shredding guitar solo toward the end, and then explodes into a real monster of a track. "Trouble In Eden", the albums title track, is darker and more moody than its predecessors, as it builds slowly and has a massive feel with it atheistic lyrical lamentations. “High Indeed” has a  stripped-down feel, as it chugs along before launching into a high-energy chorus. “So Low” really brings the old school, bluesy aura to the forefront, and although it’s brooding, it builds to a snarling chorus. “Across The Sea” is perhaps the heaviest thing here and an excuse for a freak-out, whilst album closer, “The Mountain”, is simply a massive wall of riffs and killer guitar solos!

Zed are a band to watch. They make "old school" sound modern, with their own flair and musicianship. Listening to Trouble In Eden, feels like  reacquainting with a long lost friend, warm and familiar yet new and refreshing, plus it is a killer album from beginning to end.

Rating: 10/10

ZED are:

Greg Lopez – Guitars

Pete Sattari – Guitars/Vocals

Mark Aceves – Bass

Rich Harris – Drums/Percussion