The Wanderers have returned from the astral plane to give us their striking debut full-length “Zetra”.
For the uninitiated Zetra is a British synth-rock duo based in London.
Formed in 2018 and merging the haunting sounds of The Cure, Sisters Of Mercy with the pop seasonality of new wave acts like The Pet Shop Boys & Gary Newman.
With many early releases EPs, Demos & Singles the band built a huge buzz in the underground. Bringing together all scenes to rejoice in the melding of heavy metal riffs with gorgeous synths & dream-like melodies. Now signed to Nuclear Blast their journey continues to its highest reach yet, Their self-titled album.
Opening with “Suffer Eternally” which is a melancholic dance track with a pulsing drum machine beat. Low, soft verse sections draw you in before the chorus erupts & the hooks being. This track is such a strong opening & gives you a fantastic preview of what’s to come next.
“Sacrifice” one of the leading singles for the album showcases just how every release the group improves & expands their sound every time. Quickly becoming my favourite track of theirs so far it has that hard guitar edge with a hypnotic riffs section before exploding into a sonic overload chorus.
This track also features my favourite bridge section of the year.
Slowing building the track up before silence hits & a Solomon angelic vocal echos. Then a heavy guitar & synth “breakdown” punishes you in the best way. This is truly the perfect blend of darkest & light.
Feeling like a great continuation from their “From Within” EP the track “Shatter The Mountain” ft. Sólveig Matthildur has this deep & rich sound. Large distorted guitars & waves of beautiful sounds build this track.
The back & forth between The Wanderers & Sólveig gives the track a glorious texture. Heavy but so lush at the same time. It shows the interplay between the group is nothing but superb when it comes to writing tracks.
“Inseparable” is my standout on the album. Soaked in a dark Type O Negative & H.I.M feel this track is heavy & brooding. A slower-paced track that offers a different colour to the album. The perfect blend of doom & goth rock this track has it all & it’s perfectly formed.
Bringing back that hard rock with a pop edge “Moonfall” ft. Gabriel Franco (Unto Others) is a great late album deep cut. Feeling it would fit in perfect on a 90s crime thriller soundtrack. Gabriel’s spoken word sections give it a different & haunting edge as the group builds to this huge closing section that caps the track off in such a satisfying way.
Zetra have crafted a succulent & gorgeous debut album. Full of haunting melodies & some of the best pop-laced choruses that will be stuck in your brain for some time. Each record that has been able to craft & build their soundscape & within its debut album has been able to create a sonic banquet for the senses.
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Zetra is out via Nuclear Blast on September 13th 2024
Tracklist:
Suffer Eternally
Sacrifice
Starfall ft. Serena Cherry
Mirror
Shatter The Mountain ft. Sólveig Matthildur
Holy Malice
Inseparable
Gaia
Moonfall ft. Gabriel Franco
Miracle