MAY '07 ISSUE

Hear Us Out: Hard Rock In Review
By: Ken Pierce

ZO2
"Ain't It Beautiful"
Independent Artist

Every so often, you come across a band that reminds you of the simple pleasures of rock & roll and all the magic that it possesses. This is the case with New York's ZO2, who are bringing back a sound that is generally lost by a number of today's bands - bands that are more concerned about genre labels than the actual music.

"Ain't It Beautiful" is the band's second independent release, and don't let the term indie sway you; the group comes from some truly inspirational foundations. Dave Z (the bassist) is also a member of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, while brother Paulie and drummer Joe Cassata each have ample backgrounds from numerous working bands, which at times were busier than established industry "professionals." The group was also the opener for the entire run of dates for the KISS Rock the Nation tour. The CD follows up their debut "Tuesday's & Thursdays" with a similar theme of melodic hard rock that will appeal to all fans who loved what KISS and Aerosmith did in their earlier years.

But their sound is by no means retro, it's just a skillful blend of the old meeting the new and showing just how fresh it can sound when you focus on the basic formulas. We can also add in the fact that they use three-part harmony vocals, and these guys give the listeners easily memorable choruses. Paulie has the kind of voice that many rock singers aspire to; he can be bluesy at times, passionate at others, and when it's called for, he can scream like a banshee. It is the kind of diversity you want in a frontman and he surely delivers on all fronts with numbers like "Get Up Now" and "If You See Kay." While these are two of the band's most inspired rock tunes, I'd also put "Comin' Home" and Isolate" up there on the list - the best as each of them just took me away with the vibe that they brought.

The guys also show respect to the rock founders on "Get the Led Out," a number that uses some sweet Zeppelin feels and style. The album sounds fantastic and was produced and co-written by Bob Held. It's music that you will want to play loud, sing along to and memorize all at the same time. I'm convinced that bigger things await ZO2 and their fans. Anyone else want to come along?