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LECHEROUS GAZE
Zeta Reticuli Blues

Tee Pee (2014)
Rating: 8/10

For me the band moniker suggests some type of death metal combo, but in fact, Lecherous Gaze are masters of groove metal which hints at that 70s style of oaken rhythm.

The Oakland, California-based band was formed in 2010 and features ex-Annihilation Time members Graham Clise (guitar), Chris Grande (bass) and Noel Sullivan (drums), alongside vocalist Zaryan Zaidi.

Lecherous Gaze mash together the wild exuberance of MC5 and the weightier chinks of Black Sabbath, all glued together with a dash of psychedelia, a sprig of pounding, sweaty punk, and a pinch of sleaze rock. It makes for a cracking listen because the band are so energetic and god damn catchy, but above all it’s a riotous affair dripping sweat, promoting mayhem and good enough to fill arenas all around the rockin’ world.

Whatever aspect we focus on, it’s just as wild as any other segment of the band. The vocals are of the club-wielding caveman quality; rampant, scratchy, uncontrolled, loose and in your face, they sit in squalid fashion alongside a sonic guitar attack which evokes images of The Ramones, The Stooges, Jimi Hendrix and the MC5 as the riffs flail and solos spin and fizz with destruction.

There’s such a live feel to the record. This is helped by the frantic percussion and that bass, which just marries so many classic rock styles that by the end of this record you’ll be left in a shattered mess on the carpet, surrounded by groupies, beer cans and the remains of the television you attempted to throw out the window but which instead crashed up against the wall.

‘End Rising’ is feisty, pumping, punky and hard – it hits below the belt, evoking images of the wild abandonment of the 70s – while ‘Dog’ just cranks everything up to ten and blasts the ears with sleazy aplomb. It’s half vintage Alice Cooper and half New York Dolls, but more oily and less glam.

Vocally, Zaryan Zaidi is a true monster. He doesn’t merely sing the words; instead, it’s as if each sentence is a lump of flesh that he’s just bit from his own torso and then spat with menace at the perspiring audience.

I can see why people have mentioned a Black Flag influence, but then again, there are so many nods on this record; there’s even a snarling version of Big Joe Williams’ 1935 classic blues song ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ thrown in for good measure.

If you like music to throw yourself around to though, then you can’t go wrong with the sneering ‘New Distortion’ or the fuming calamity that is ‘Uncle Dale’ with its rock ’n’ roll drive that splinters bones and tears out hair. It sounds old, but yet it’s not a case of mimicry – it’s just pure beer-soaked chaos wrapped up in those loose and wonderfully dirty riffs that just snarl with arrogance.

Whichever form these guys take doesn’t really matter, because you know you’re getting your money’s worth with this heap of raggedy rock ’n’ roll. Super-charged, volcanic, and boasting the same sleazy flesh one would associate with the late 60s psych scene, this is a must-have for fans who like to hear a record that sounds as if the band is literally trashing your front room. Don’t just buy it; smash it up…

Neil Arnold

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