Gizmodrome - 'Gizmodrome'

The band delivers on all fronts with something completely original and stupidly addictive.

The term super-group gets tossed around far too much these days. It usually involves a bunch of musicians contracted to produce an album together on the strength of past works; more often than not, it's a case of "take the money and run, next project please?"

Gizmodrome features Stewart Copeland on drums (The Police, Soundtrack Composer), Mark King pounding the bass (Level 42), Adrian Belew on guitar (King Crimson, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads) and Vittorio Cosma on keyboards (PFM). There is no denying the pedigree of these musicians, and their backgrounds alone make them a unique musical prospect. What struck me first was how well all the instruments melded into a bizarre wall of sound; no single musician is running this show, each has their moment in the spotlight, though not at the cost of the song – having everyone share vocals also keeps things interesting.

'Zombies In The Mall' takes a moment to digest as there seems to be so much going on. The song has a quirky feel to it, not unlike Copeland's solo work as Klark Kent, and the guitar is the only moment when it finds a more familiar Rock stride. Many songs have an Ethnic style to them, 'Zubatta Cheve' has its roots in African rhythms, while 'Stay Ready' touches more on Reggae beats, something Copeland made a career out of during his time in The Police. Hearing King and Copeland lock together during 'Man In The Mountain' is inspiring, but the lack of a substantial chorus loses the song points.



'Summer's Coming' has a vivid spoken lyric, and the song almost seems to lose itself before coming out with a solid Pop Rock chorus that saves the day. If you're familiar with Stan Ridgeway and Wall Of Voodoo, then 'Strange Things Happen' will deliver for you, 'Ride Your Life' is the nearest thing to a straight-ahead Rocker, albeit with a Grunge feel. King comes alive during 'Spin This', furious slap bass drives the song alongside the intense vocal. The band only slows down during the sedate 'I Know Too Much', the keyboards adding a seductive hum to the heart of the song. Finishing on an instrumental, 'Stark Naked' blends Jazz and Rock with each musician showing his dazzling range of skills.

Gizmodrome could easily have not worked, but instead, the band delivers on all fronts with something completely original and stupidly addictive.

Ray Paul