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ZODIAC
Sonic Child

Napalm (2014)
Rating: 8/10

Zodiac – featuring members Nick van Delft (vocals / guitar), Stephan Gall (guitar), Ruben Claro (bass) and Janosch Rathmer (drums) – is a German rock band with a heavy blues influence. Sonic Child, the band’s third full-length, is an easy-on-the-ears exploration into what I can best describe as chilled out rock.

With its tumbling drums and cosmic meddling, the opening ‘Intro: Who I Am’ alone is a joy to behold if one was putting on a cool, lounge cocktail party for friends.

Far from being heavy metal, Zodiac have more in common with the likes of boogie masters Masters Of Reality to some extent, but this could also appeal to those into a more chilled, relaxing style of soulful rock. Indeed, to call this enjoyable opus laid back would be an understatement, because everything about it has the air of a hazy summer evening with city lights twinkling in the distance and the hum of traffic soothing the soul. In fact, there’s rarely a fire to be conjured on this dark, brooding slab of occasionally playful blues rock.

At its hardest, Sonic Child offers up the likes of the driving groove of ‘Swinging On The Run’ which is a straight up rocker, while ‘Holding On’ offers up a cool gallop. In contrast we have the earthy title track, the stark prod of ‘Out Of The City’ with its simple fiery groove and my favourite brace of tunes; ‘A Penny And A Dead Horse’ with its rootsy vocal yawn and distinctive bluesy twang, and one also cannot ignore the closing ‘Rock Bottom Blues’ with its distant Hammond hum and slow, simmering atmosphere.

If anything, Zodiac belong in some secret blues club – crooning through the wisps of smoke and evoking images of the late 60s and early 70s – but this is very much authentic blues rock. It rarely exists beyond a subtle croon and hints at strains of deep rooted psychedelia, mostly in that warm, rich and inviting vocal sound of Nick van Delft and those teasing guitars which can only show their true self within the reflection of some old regulars pitch sunglasses as he orders another drink at the bar and soaks up this calming sea of dusky melody.

The album closes with the evocative ‘Just Music’; a cool, hip heartbeat of a track propelled by soulful vocals and a clever drum plod that eventually takes us into a sweet chorus of bluesy melodies.

Sonic Child is one for the hipsters, the groovers, the thinkers and late night drinkers.

Neil Arnold

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