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How to begin a review of Lodestar’s new album ‘Zonen’? Mention what has happened worldwide in the 27 years since the band last released an album? No, too easy. Plus, let’s be honest, half of the shit that has happened since the 1996 self-titled debut was released is hard to believe.
Maybe go with the tried and trusted “Even Axl didn’t take this long”? Nope. How about just simply saying – “Welcome back, Lodestar. You have been sorely missed.” Folks, we have a winner.
Formed almost 30 years ago by 3 members of the seminal (and criminally underrated) British rap-rock band Senser – Heitham Al-Sayed (one of the most explosive frontmen of that era), Alan ‘Lord Hagos’ Haggarty on guitars/bass/synths and John Morgan on drums – Lodestar was the trio’s way of expressing their art in a heavier, riffier, way and the result was stunning. Senser themselves were the perfect antithesis to the vanilla Britpop and Cool Britannia movements that were prevalent in the mid-90s, and the Londoners offered an alternative for those who didn’t fall for Noel Gallagher sipping champagne with Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street.
One of the greatest live acts that the UK has ever produced, Senser were the dog’s bollocks. And Lodestar were the metal extension of Senser, and now they are back.
Sludgier, heavier, trippier, spacier. ‘Zonen’ is everything that you would expect a new Lodestar album to sound like in 2024. And so much more. Lord Hagos’ fuzz-filled riffs are the bedrock for the band to build upon (during the short instrumental ‘1983’ that serves as the album mid-point, it’s his John Carpenter-like synths that fulfill that specific role) and they are glorious. Thicker than an outgoing MP’s last expenses claim, they are Kyuss-meets-Iommi sized, and when he hits those strings you might just want to hold on to any loose fillings that you have in your mouth – especially when ‘1983’ fades out and the impressive strains of ‘The Starnger’ launch.
Beginning with the neck-straining, doom-filled ‘Surrender To The Tide’, ‘Zonen’ impresses at every turn. At times, Heitham Al-Sayed’s vocals often spark recollections of a young Ozzy during those first few Sabbath albums (it might be Hagos’ riffs on ‘Surrender To The Tide’ that help give that comparison some weight), but with there being some variety amongst the 11 tracks, you might pick up an Al Jourgensen vibe on ‘The Real World’ and ‘Sigils Burning’ – kudos to John Morgan for the hypnotic, pulsating drums on the former.
‘Bring Me The Head’ could be the standout track on ‘Zonen’ (although, ‘Be Ready’ and ‘High Sorrow’ push it all the way) with a lot of the credit going to the thick, groovy bass licks from Charlie Beddoes, and a short freaky-deeky synth fill from Hagos. It’s always a pleasant surprise when an album throws a bit of synth into the mix. Likewise, it’s always a pleasant surprise when a band produces a cover by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band that is not either ‘Midnight Moses’, ‘The Faith Healer’, or ‘Boston Tea Party’, and Lodestar’s choice of ‘The Harp’ might seem like one straight from the leftfield but the trippy, middle-Eastern strains of the original by Glasgow’s last true people’s poet makes perfect sense and Heitham does it great justice.
Not sure what it says about British music in 2024 when a band resurrected from the late 90s for only their second album has created one of the most exciting albums of the year. Welcome back Lodestar, you have been sorely missed.
Connect with Lodestar, HERE.
Review – Dave
