Band Review: Zoroaster

When I first discovered that Zoroaster would be making a stop in Panama City Beach I will admit that I had only a casual knowledge of them, mostly due to the awesomeness that is Pandora radio.  Since when I first learned about the show it was a ways off, I ordered their latest CD to brush up a bit; Matador.

Through multiple listens the thing that still strikes me the most are the underlying elements that invoke sounds of Tibetan monks, world music, and Native American rhythms.  These are not exactly standard elements to associate with a metal band.  The back bone of their sound is in the slow trance like rhythms of sludge metal with psychedelic elements.  For me, there is something wonderfully primal and yet beautifully layered within their music, which results in songs that practically become a part of who you are.

So by the time the show arrived, I went from casually interested to completely excited about the prospect of seeing this band live.

Thanks to an fantastically ear-blistering set by Sons of Tonatiuh the cops were called as apperarently Panama City Beach is no longer music friendly.  Zoroaster stuck it out with us, played through, and dared to play loud.

The show was what I had hoped for; those layers on Matador transcribed very well to a three man band.  The music that invaded my waking moments was powerfully raw live.

The hard part coming out of the show is not having the opportunity to see the band whole.  Travis Owen did a great job filling in on bass.  He has an exuberant energy on stage that is hard not to be immersed in; and it was great to see the amused reaction of the band to his stage antics.  But, it is hard not to wonder what you missed.

Rumors abound about the reason Zoroaster’s bassist isn’t with them on this leg of touring, but whatever the cause is I hope it all works out for the best for everyone involved.  When a band has such a unique way of approaching music as Zoroaster does, it is hard not to be uncertain of the future when 1/3 of the band isn’t present.

http://www.zoroasterrocks.com – Official site including great t-shirts… think I’ll be ordering some of those $5 shirts when the store opens back up.
http://www.facebook.com/zoroasterband
http://www.reverbnation.com/zoroaster – to hear a couple songs
Their music is pretty much available everywhere, including iTunes and Amazon.  Buy it!

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850ME stands for 850 Music & Entertainment. We are based in the panhandle of Florida, getting the 850 part of our name from the local area code pre-fix. The site aims to shine a light on local, regional, and even national artists. We started with a sole focus on the music community in 2011 and in 2013 we expanded to include other forms of entertainment. We feature a growing team of talented photographers and writers - and hope you will be a part of this wonderful journey with us.

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