Zombi : Direct Inject

The prog/synth duo Zombi, which consists of keyboardist/bassist/composer Steve Moore and percussionist/keyboardist AE Paterra, have notched out a very specific sonic corner in electronic music. Influenced/inspired by horror scores and films, as well as 70s prog and more thoughtful metal of the 70s and 80s, these two Pittsburgh-raised musicians have rewired the idea of the musical duo. Their sound is anything but duo-like. Listen to albums like Surface To Air, Spirit Animal, or Shape Shift and you’ll hear a massive sonic assault that’s both dexterous musicianship and mood-heavy tomes. Equal parts Rush, Goblin, and Fabio Frizzi.

With each album Moore and Paterra have tightened and honed their sound, giving their compositions more nuance and vision. Even longer tracks like “Siberia II” and the whole of the masterful Spirit Animal never felt too long or drawn out. These are journey songs on journey albums with purpose, power, and intent.

Zombi have returned after their last full-length, 2020s 2020, with the excellent Direct Inject. Direct Inject sees Moore and Paterra doing what they do best, locking into grooves and building epic, cosmic jams. Capturing the kinetic movement of their classic Escape Velocity with moodier aspects of Shape Shift, 2020, and the Liquid Crystal EP. This is primo Zombi.

Title track “Direct Inject” gets things going and ears will perk up when the busy synth line hits ears. There’s a retro-futurism vibe on this excellent opener, complete with Signals-era Rush vibes. Escape Velocity was my doorway into the world of Zombi, and this track gives me those feels all over again. “So Mote It Be” slinks in on a low hanging groove and a touch of unease. It builds to a dramatic crescendo courtesy of Paterra’s prodigous yet understated drumming. “Kamichi & Sandy”, while sounding like the name of an 80s sitcom, is far from that. Big, brooding track that keeps the muscular feel of what came before but with an almost Gothic sound.

Elsewhere “Bodies In The Flotsam” touches on Goblin vibes(think Argento’s Dawn of the Dead cut) but with the synth rock strut of bands like Saga and Genesis. “Improvise Adapt Overcome” and “The Post-Atomic Horror” cover all the heady synth rock your psyche can handle, while “Insurmountable Odds” is a grand, Gothic beast of a track that sounds like Voivod jamming with Claudio Simonetti. The standout here is the sultry, saxophone-heavy “Sessuale II”. It’s this cosmic, sexy track that lingers in the air on wispy wings of saxophone, airy synth, and tasteful percussion. It builds into a percussive slow jam that is equal parts Windham Hill and Sade, with just a pinch of New Age enlightenment.

So stop wondering what your favorite record is going to be this year. It’s going Zombi’s Direct Inject. The premier prog/synth duo have once again bested themselves and have made their best record yet. Longtime fans will be blown away. Newbies will wonder what took them so long to find their way to the Zombi-verse.