Zero Cipher – Nü Metal
Zero Cipher – Nü Metal
Self-Released
Release Date: 12/01/2024
Running Time: 51:09
Review by Laura Barnes
8/10
It’s time to dust off those camo pants and dig out those wallet chains, because Nu-Metal is back! After years of being the butt of jokes in both mainstream and metal communities alike, the genre has found itself in a state of revival. We now live in a glorious time period where rappers proudly wear Slipknot t-shirts, Crazy Town feature in the Barbie movie, and an account named ‘crazy ass moments in Nu-Metal history’ has 154.8k followers on Twitter. What a time to be alive! Zero Cipher are also thrilled with this development it seems, as they emerge to release their first album since their 2009 break up. “Nü Metal” is an album that is unashamed of its late-90’s / early 00’s influences, complete with turntables and Drop D tuning, and if that sounds like your bag, then read on.
The first thing I notice about “Nü Metal” is just how much fun it is. It’s clear that Zero Cipher know how to party, with choruses that bounce like a warehouse rave. The vocals take a lot of inspiration from artists like Marilyn Manson, KoRn and Mushroomhead, with a lot of the not-quite-screaming, not-quite-singing thing going on. This isn’t normally my thing, but it definitely works for the vibe that Zero Cipher are going for – spooky, punkish and authentic. These words aptly sum up some of the album’s best floorfillers, such as ‘Necropolis Now’, ‘Another Grey’, ‘Fork Tongue’ and the absolutely fantastic ‘Cthulu Luvs U Too’. This track made me grin from ear to ear as I was listening to it. It has all the fun of a Misfits song, and the undecipherable growls and grunts that emerge as Cthulu ‘speaks’ made this eldritch horror fan laugh out loud.
Another interesting track is the cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Strangelove’. The weird and wonderful world of Depeche Mode meshes well with the weird and wonderful world of Zero Cipher; played live, this would produce some very fun mosh pits. There’s also a cover of Electric Sixes ‘Gay Bar’, which doesn’t quite work as well, unfortunately, but in their defence covers tend to be a bit hit or miss for me, generally. The album ends with a double whammy of bonus tracks, ‘Drag Me Down’ and ‘Magic Time (DJ Force X Remix)’, both of which are older Zero Cipher songs that have been revisited for this album, with ‘Magic Time’ in particular getting an enjoyable The Prodigy-style revamp. Both of these songs are the only ones on the album to feature pure clean vocals, and did make me wonder what “Nü Metal” would have sounded like if there had been just a little bit more of that. Either way, these songs are great additions to an already great album.
It’s extremely cool that Zero Cipher decided to release something after 14 years. Since I was only 9 years old when they released their previous album, I was much too invested in Wii Sports Resort to pay attention, and I’m glad that this was the album to introduce me to them. I had a whale of a time with “Nü Metal”, and the fact that Zero Cipher are British means that I might even be able to catch them live sometime! I’m pumped!
TRACKLISTING
01. Gogogagagothgirl
02. Cthulu Luvs U Too
03. Godfather
04. Melania
05. Transistor
06. Necropolis Now
07. Citadel
08. Another Grey
09. Devil Torque
10. Dead on the A34
11. Prodigal Son
12. Fork Tongue
13. Strangelove
14. Gay Bar
15. Drag Me Down
16. Magic Time (DJ Force X Remix)
LINE-UP
Duncan Williams
DJ Force X (Barnaby Whattingham)
LINKS
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Laura Barnes and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
