Review: Zetra – Zetra

Zetra

Zetra

Nuclear Blast

To say I’m slightly in love with this record is an understatement; I’m gooey eyed about it. Ethereal 80s gothic rock meets savvy electronica to create a shoegaze-laced dreamscape. That lengthy description is kind of close to describing tracks like the sublime opener Suffer Eternally. On more challenging tracks like Sacrifice and The Mirror, Zetra’s metal fangs come out, but those lullaby vocals soothe everything. It’s only when Svalbard’s Serena Cherry on Starfall makes a guest appearance that harsh vocals appear on this album, and even then, it’s on one of the catchiest choruses on this side of the mainstream. Gabriel Franco of fellow goth rock buzz band Unto Others comes to lend his talents to sister track Moonfall, and it’s a dreamy cloud you could naturally drift off on, albeit a dark one. The album ends with Miracle, which sounds like a song from the greatest ’80s movie that was never made. When the album ends, I feel like a lovesick teenager trying to draw Zetra’s logo on my school bag. This album is essential to listen to, and I’m confident this will pop up on many album of the year charts.

Reviewed By George Miller