This is a review of the vinyl version of the new album from Zombie Picnic. I suppose you probably got a lot of that from the title header of this review. I reviewed the CD version of this last issue, and since the music is the same, I'm using that same review for the bulk of this review for the sake of consistency. What is added here is the review of the actual vinyl edition, and what makes it different.

First off, I think that this kind of retro inspired music is really made for vinyl. It just seems like the proper format for this album. This vinyl edition is quite classy, too. It comes with a postcard with download code. The record itself is a heavy disc, making it sturdy and resilient. It delivers some great sound. I love how the labels on the two sides each feature different parts of the album art. I have to say that I think this is the way this album should really be heard. All that said, here is an adaptation of the original CD review to fit this format.

I reviewed another set from these guys a while back and really liked it. This one is even stronger than that one. Their brand of instrumental rock includes space rock, psychedelia and even metal. This is a cool release that never feels redundant or tired.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Ambient music starts to weave a sonic tale as sound-bites come over the top. The sounds of a storm rise up after a time. Eventually those sound bites and other effects drop away and the band begin to create a cool retro inspired prog jam from there. This moves kind of slowly and has a lot of space rock in the mix. It definitely has ties to things like Tangerine Dream. Yet there are also hints of things like the surf guitar of The Ventures. Another section of spoken sound bites is heard around the half way mark. There is a soaring guitar led movement that follows it, driving the cut ever further into powerhouse territory.

This is perhaps more of a straightforward rocking jam. It still has some prog tendencies and shifts, though. The guitar soloing on this is really the key factor. This doesn't have as much of that space rock kind of thing. Part of that is because it doesn't rely on the sound bites like the earlier songs did.

Atmospherics with another sound bite lead this out of the gate. The cut has a bit mellower start than some of the rest with some cool melodic prog. There are some elements that could be compared to Pink Floyd, but don't take that to mean this sounds like Floyd - it doesn't. It gets a shift toward harder rocking stuff after a time. Some smoking hot guitar riff emerges further down the road. Again, I'm detecting hints of The Stones on that riff. Yet, this is clearly proggy jam band styled music and not Stones styled blues rock. After some pretty intense rocking, it drops back to more atmospherics with sound bites to end.