MOB RESEARCH so the name of the band whose album Holy City Zoo is lying in front of me. Never heard of before, so ears open and on with it into the player. Wow, not bad what's coming out of the speakers. Really good indeed. First thing coming to my mind is something like "Killing Joke goes Rock". Wait... what's that, the vocals sound somewhat familiar, reminding me of Warrior Soul/Space Age Playboys mastermind Kory Clarke. In fact - grabbing the info sheet I read that MOB RESEARCH is a band by Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Ministry, Prong), who sadly passed away and Mark Gemini Twaithe (The Mission UK, Tricky), who took support from exactly this Kory Clarke. Enough background information for now. So what awaits the listener on Holy City Zoo? You get exactly what the namedropping implies. Really, really great metallic Industrial Rock with brilliant vocals (Mr. Clarke can't do bad vocals), cynic/sarcastic lyrics and a nose for catchy hooks and refrains without sounding only a bit simple. Just like Warrior Soul's Wasteland would sound if you add a big dose Industrial. Man, this is fun!
The whole mood on Holy City Zoo is perfectly done, too. Where many other Industrial bands are just bold negative (ok, the genre's direction itself is negative) MOB RESEARCH manages to create not a fluffy summer feeling but Holy City Zoo has some kind of positive, uprising feel to it. Just as positive as a with a broad smile presented raised middlefinger can be.
Stomping smashers like Manufactured Terror, which has some great synths mixed in the background and a nearly epic chorus, change with more quiet, yet driving songs like New Paradigm and more rocky (reminding me of a futuristic version of Warrior Soul) ones like Skulls And Bones. Tribe then comes along more heavy and metallic leaving away the mentioned uprising feel and sounding (but not copying) a bit like Ministry. With the first notes of Wambulance MOB RESEARCH add some upbeat punk feel, forcing you to raise your fist and shout along with them. Yessss, that's what I like, baby! Did I already mention that Holy City Zoo is real fun? Anyway, can't mention that enough! With the somewhat eighties Synth/Wave influenced song Sky God Worshippers the album slows down just a little just to come back in a nearly Hard Rock way (if not for the just well placed dose of Industrial aggression) with The New Religion and This Ones For You. After that the last track closes Holy City Zoo with the Ambient track Atmosphere which slightly reminds me of the quieter parts of Ocean Machine or Mr. Townsend’s E.C.O. project and leaves the listener absolutely satisfied.
Oh, you also get a bunch of bonus tracks in form of various remixes. These remixes switching between some simple EBM stuff, slightly technoid songs with even more crunchy guitars and more synth drenched eighties oriented remixes. Nice as a bonus but not necessarily needed. Anyway – it’s just bonus so take it or leave it.
So, if you like catchy yet diverse Industrial Rock (with a clear focus on Rock!) or just want to know how fresh, hard and modern music can sound like - go, get this.
MOB RESEARCH rules!