Listeners could be forgiven for thinking that
Zombie Zombie's debut was inspired by horror films, given the band's name, the decidedly
John Carpenter-ish music heard inside, and the liner notes' inscription: "All this music has been inspired by Peter Watkins' movie Paradise Park." But while the film they've referenced turns out to be grim, it's centered around a political dystopia instead of a haunted amusement park. Mostly a duo,
Zombie Zombie incorporate a parade of classic synthesizers -- Arp, Roland, Prophet, Moog -- to re-create the mood of classic
Carpenter/Romero slasher pics, with a mood that's alternately frenetic and eerie (not to mention the credits, which include "vocals and screaming" or "backing vocals and glass breaking"). A cover of
Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" late in the program is well-timed and well-chosen; while most of the album plays like the type of soundtrack that can't quite hold its own without visual accompaniment, it's easy to imagine one of a hoard of zombies monotoning "Nightclubbing" in reverence to
Iggy's original. ~ John Bush