#zapiain

A new album out by one of my favourite UK bands has to be a major event. Zapiain have always managed to release some great EPs in the past and I've been waiting patiently to get my hands on a full length-er. 'Jibberjabber' has 10 tracks in total of purely brilliant melodic punk, these are one of those bands who are lucky enough to have forged their own sound with every member adding their own touch to create a sound which is instantly recognisable as Zapiain. Lying somewhere between Samiam and Jawbreaker, with a hint of Leatherface thrown in there, their song writing on this album sees them reaching even higher than seen on previously released Eps. Tunes Like 'Head First' or 'Last Chance' get etched upon your head immediately and you find yourself nodding and humming along before you even notice you're doing it. A great album here, which would have been in my top ten releases of 2010 if I hadn't already printed it out before listening to it. Actually I think this technically get released in 2011, so maybe it'll be in my top ten of next year. Pete.

Reviewed by Andy Malcolm

Do you think there will ever come a time when there won't be a band in the UK playing this style of melodic punk? I hope not. Zapiain follow in the footsteps of bands such as Hooton 3 Car and Southport, although ironically the band this reminds me most of is Caustic Soda who were from Australia. Even the main guys vocals sound a bit Australian which is peculiar. Zapiain set their stall out from the word go on this album, with "Last Chance (Get It Right)" storming out of the gates, replete with tight, hefty riftage. There are two singers, one booming, the other offering contrast with occasional words and "woaaaaaaaaaah"s. This is my favourite track on the record, and a tough act to follow as the opener. The album doesn't quite live up to it, but for the following half hour Zapiain blast out a highly competent UK melodic punk record that has found the perfect home on veteran ;-) label Bombed Out Records, and a Yankee cousin in the spectactularly solid label Unsane Asylum (no surprise to me, the guy who runs this label was responsible for a string of excellent websites focusing on this style of music for a fair old while). The songs tend to stick to the formula, as is typical for the style, which can lead to the mind wandering, but any time you choose to return your focus to the track currently playing you'll be greeted with a familiar robustness and pick up where you left off in no time at all. Unless you zone out and come back for the last song "By All Means", with its strums and strings, you might wonder if someone swapped the CD on you. Good album all told.