Zero Hour

Belgian quartet Diablo Blvd deliver a powerful and pointed attack with their fourth effort, Zero Hour. Influenced by the crushing riffs of Metallica, Type O Negative, and Black Sabbath, as well as the groove and darkness of Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy, and Gang of Four, Zero Hour finds Diablo Blvd taking a muscular and tangible approach to their brand of metal-inspired, post-grunge rock. It's tighter and more focused than previous albums, which allows Zero Hour's social message to really sink in, while the sonic assault pummels itself into the memory banks. Vocalist Alex Agnew minces no words, firing his lyrical bullets at obvious targets throughout Zero Hour's 11 tracks. On the chugging opener, "Animal," he spits "Damn you for making me hate.../Damn you for making me fear my fellow man.../If you want to kill the world/Just point the gun at yourself." On the ominous "Sing from the Gallows" -- which is elevated by guitarists Andries Beckers and Tim Bekaert's classic metal riffs -- Agnew lays out the album's entire doom-and-gloom theme with references to evil state leaders, geopolitics, climate change, and the overall deterioration of society. Despite the bubbling fear and dread, the song is propulsive and catchy, like everything else on Zero Hour. "God in the Machine" gallops along jagged riffs and Kris Martens' pounding drums, while the epic "You Are All You Love" resurrects the sound of Alice in Chains, with Agnew's vocals even dipping to Layne Staley's haunting depths. Cinematic moments -- like the instrumental "00:00" and the sprawling seven-minute "Demonize" -- are woven into the album's tapestry, expanding Zero Hour's story in rewarding fashion. Hulking and powerful but with moments of uplift and melody, this effort is one of Diablo Blvd's most accessible and immediate yet. ~ Neil Z. Yeung