This is the third effort released by Zone that we received at Metalrage, and again it is reviewed by a different person. This one is a three-track EP entitled Conflict, and it shows a new direction for the band.

I listened to the older tracks on their website, and it indeed reflects the nu-metal generation. They have overcome that genre and proceeded towards a more aggressive thrash-like sound, which they manage quite well. This is definitely their best effort up to date.

 

Fast thrash riffs, brutal breakdowns, harsh screams and some melody in both music and vocals is what they give you on Conflict, and as they say it is only a sample of what is yet to come in 2007. Although a huge progression in their sound and songwriting has been made, I still feel like they can do better. There are some riffs that don’t sound catchy and some transmissions that don’t sound smooth. That, and the guy doesn’t have a good low grunt. But it’s definitely a big improvement compared to the old releases. They mention bands like Chimaira and Fear Factory in their bio, and you can hear those influences in the music, although they don’t live up to the brutality of those two.

 

All in all it looks more promising for Zone than ever. I’m quite curious to what they’ll bring us next year, and I really think I’m going to check them out at their show in Utrecht in the Ekko next month. I want to know how they sound (and look) in a live environment.