I have the same problems with this full length that I did with the 7”. It’s a little worse, actually. Instead of sounding like outtakes to the Clash’s London Calling, Return to Zero sounds more like outtakes to a mix between Combat Rock and Big Audio Dynamite. Hey, I like the Clash. That’s why I already own their records and don’t need to hear more stuff that seems to be merely picking the crud out of the Clash’s fingernails. The vocalist sounds creepily close to Mick Jones. Let’s be specific. What they do, on occasion, isn’t an homage, but a direct chord-for-chord rip-off from the Clash. The band even does the “koo koo koo” vocal thingie. Add some reverb and delay and in almost every song, mention guns or the old west, and you’ve got Return to Zero. It’s incredibly derivative, and this time they’re not poaching the A-material of a great band. The two instrumentals are pretty, though. The cover art—stencils of a man getting shot—is top notch, too. Summation: its chances of going up on a wall instead of the turntable are about a hundred to one.
–todd (Kapow)