Zero Boys
Vicious Circle

Strange creature of American hardcore, the Zero Boys boast a certain notoriety for their simple way of "sophisticatedly" breaking bones with music. This album, "Vicious Circle," was the decisive springboard for the Indianapolis lineup, as mentioned before, simple but tight, easy to listen to yet pounding at the same time.

Paul Mahern's voice can remind you of a Billy Corgan with a sore throat, but his way of handling the vocal lines makes the listening particularly enjoyable. In the background, the guitars buzz and the drums pound quickly, but the effect of listening to the Zero Boys is not at all overwhelming; rather, I would say that, in their own way, they have skillfully innovated the sound of the genre of that era. Fast rhythms and constantly changing tempos break the monotony that hardcore, like no other genre, can sometimes give. The recording is accurate, and I was amazed to learn that this record was released in 1982; I would have said much later.

Melodic, completely different from the genre remembered by the Descendents, they are much more rooted in early punk rock and much less ironic in the themes addressed in their lyrics.

Acidic and edgy notes interface with grinding guitars and distorted ballads, shouted choruses intersect with the drummer's double-bass outbursts, everything flows rapidly, it assaults the listener but doesn’t tire, indeed, after all this drastic description, I can assure you that overall the Zero Boys are catchy like nothing else in the world.

The album rocks everything, yet listening to it you are aware that something unusual has assaulted your eardrums, so much so that you seriously can't understand what you're listening to: "but is it an insane mess or something misunderstood?"

Mature and precise, they manage to embody that alternative freak show they created, knowing how to transform diligently like a chameleon, piece by piece, on their album. Rowdy, dark, engaged, nighttime hooligans, and hardcore rockers, the Zero Boys have played with their notes so well that they remain appreciated everywhere.

This is the strange journey one experiences when putting "Vicious Circle" on the turntable: many words, many references, and few conclusions. Listen to believe.