HUMAN ZOO – Echoes Beyond

This is my first encounter with the German hard rockers known as Human Zoo and let me tell you right off the bat that I am wildly impressed with these guys and what they offer.

We are off to a cracking good start with the bombastic and punchy album opener titled “Gun 4 A While” and the disc delivers plenty of ear candy throughout that pays homage to all the best melodic rock/glam metal/hard rock outputs from the eighties but with an added (and solid) dose of something contemporary and modern as well. Tasty riffs and catchy melodies, huge choruses and bucketloads of confidence, an abundance of energy and enthusiasm, and a real knack for writing immediately accessible and appealing songs, there is so much to like here and Echoes Beyond is both entertaining and impeccably crafted. There is more than enough musical variety on display too; just compare the atmospheric “Ghost in Me” to the groove-infested “Waiting ‘Til the Dawn” and you will see what I mean. Other standouts include “Echoes” and “Heartache” – both of which are irresistible. In fact, only “Forget About the Past” falls by the wayside and appears forgettable, but infectious tunes such as “In My Dreams” and “To the Ground” will make you overlook that. Funnily enough, some of the ideas presented by Human Zoo recall the Flesh and Blood LP by Whitesnake. Make of that what you will. In short, this one is expertly produced and comes highly recommended.