Band: Astro Zombies
Album title: Convince Or Confuse
Label: Drunkabilly
Distributor: Music Shock - Suburban
Release date: March 2009
Release: CD

Hailiing from the Burgundy region in France, this Punk-ed up Psychobilly trio was formed in 1996, but of that original trio only frontman Mr. Bobby remains. Already in their formation year, the band released their debut EP, displaying a Psychobilly sound which was rather closer to the Oldschool style!

1997 saw the release of debut album The Astro Zombies Are Coming, recorded at the In Heaven studio, owned by the very godfather of Psychobilly, Paul P. Fenech. A mixture of pure Rock ‘n’ Roll and Psychobilly, the material eventually opened the doors of the Psychobilly world, the band opening for several classic bands in the genre (The Meteors, Guana Batz, Misfits, to name but a few), before starting their on headliner shows and tours, appearing at a multitude of European festivals…and eventually leading to the band ending up plaing in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, and even Russia! From the meeting with Fenech eventually sprouted a collaboration of Bobby and (original) drummer Gaybeul in Fenech’s side-project The 10th Key Screamers, working on the two albums Screaming On The 10th Key and Fenechophobia, as well as touring for each album.

In 2000 AZ recorded their second album Control Your Minds for their new label Crazy Love Records (whom re-issued the debut album by popular demand, the original version having appeared through the Banana Juice imprint). The third, and also heavier, album Mutilate, Torture, And Kill came in 2003, issued through UK label Raucous Records. Followed a couple of line-up changes on the bass, with the entry and exit of Fantomas (formerly of Frantic Flinstones, then also playing for US act The Kings Of Nuthin’) and Seb (of Voodoo Devils), before the situation settled on Thomas Frenchy. Still on Raucous, the band issued their live album Burgundy Livers in 2007, and after that album’s release Gaybeul left to be replaced by Markus. Work on a new studio album started in November of that same year (the band already recording a total of 8 songs, two of which re-recorded oldies for a 7-inch single). During  2008, the band not only completed the recordings for the album, but also went on a US tour (West Coast & Texas) with Gambler’s Mark. After that came trips to Southern America (Brazil, Mexico, and Columbia) and Russia. In between, Crazy Love Records re-issued AZ’s first EP and album all over again, with bonus tracks, and Mexican label Bam Bam released the “best of” album Lo Mejor De Los Astro Zombies – Exitos Del Espacio Exterior.

For their brandnew album the AZ eventually found a home with Belgian specialist label Drunkabilly Records (who’d already issued a limited vinyl version of Mutilate, Torture, And Kill). In December 2007 the band issued a statement relating the fact that Frenchy had left the band on amical terms, wanting to try his luck Statewize. His replacement came in the form of Mark Carew (frontman of Long Tall Texans, also active with The Hotknives). The material on the album is well varied. Most of the songs played at a rather up-tempo pace (as far as Psychobilly goes), some of them are played at an intensity to include some “Punk” elements! Definitely “different”, is “Margarita”, a semi-ballad with a Psycho twist on Spanish folk, enriched by gloomy strings and eccelerated fiddle play! Also special are “Hey Gyp” (if only for being being a duet with Sarah Blackwood of The Creepshow) and “Bang Bang” (a revved-up version of the classic song rendered immortal by Cher and Nancy Sinatra – remember it also for being the main theme of the hit movie Kill Bill?). During “Reality Junky”,yougetaninteresting vocal duality, and the more Oldschool geared “instrumental” “Psycho Bitch Party” only has vocal contribution through samples from some seady B-movie (it also sees some wacky/ spooky organ added to the instrumentarium). For the album’s one and only true instrumental “Fiddling And Picking” the band has added a fiddle (duh! with that title!) for some interesting duels with the guitar.

To get a whiff of what this band sounds like, check out what’s available at myspace.com/zeastrozombies (only two of the 7 tracks posted are off the new album, if you’d like to hear more off it, I’m afraid you’ll have to do with the samples available at amazon.com). Noy bad at all, this album, but I have to say they’re my least favourite of bands in the fivesome of albums Drunkabilly sentus!

78/100

Tony.