Mountains of Madness (Energy)
by Elizabeth Parker
H.P. Zinker should be commended for their innovative package design. Mountains of Madness (Energy) comes in a red case so that the photo montages can be held against it for hours of optical fun.
H.P. Zinker’s latest effort has many good points: the tracks blend diverse influences with interesting psychedelic sound effects. The songs open with intriguing riffs and instrumentals. “Birch” blends a melancholy pick with a lazy back beat. “The Hunting” launches with an insistent insect buzz whine riff. “Waz” gets that old ’60s wah-wah pedal soul-thang goin’, and leaves the drummer lots of room.
Alas, the songs often degenerate into cheeze-metal or cheeze-ballads. The press release compares Mountains of Madness to a drunken jam session with Lou Reed and Robert Fripp. The fact that these rock ‘n’ roll luminaries are still alive and well prevents them from rolling in their graves.