Audio Adrenaline

Item: Some Kind Of Zombie
Author: Josh Hurst

Some Kind Of Zombie

(1997)

Reviewed by Josh Hurst

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label ForeFront RecordsThe Rebel Base2002

alternative rock ccm pop rock

My tastes in music have fluctuated quite a bit as I've grown older, so, naturally, some of the records that I was fond of a few years ago just don't connect with me much anymore. Still, it's fun to occasionally pull out some of those old, sentimental favorites, and to relive some of my favorite music moments from my younger days.

Audio Adrenaline, unfortunately, is one of those bands that just doesn't appeal to me anymore, despite the fact that they used to be one of my personal favorites. And, in many ways, I still feel that the group has some merit - they can craft strong melodies and catchy tunes like nobody's business, and their passion for their music and their ministry is contagious. Too bad for Audio A., though, catchy songs and radio-readiness just isn't enough to satisfy this hardened critic anymore. Much to the dismay of my friends and readers, my ears have become increasingly difficult to please as of late, and the youth-group favorite Audio Adrenaline isn't quite up to the challenge.

Believe it or not, though, I actually find time to stop raving and gushing about Radiohead and U2, every now and then, and just have fun. And, when it comes to fun, you'd be hard pressed to find a more adequate band than Audio Adrenaline. So, as my way of saying goodbye to the quickly-fading summer season, I shall now pull out my old, rugged, almost-worn-out copy of Some Kind of Zombie, my personal favorite entry from Audio Adrenaline's streaky, inconsistent catalogue - an album full of infectious hooks, slick instrumentation, and a few moments of brilliance.

"They're jamming at the show and everybody's freakin'"

"Chevette"

The Zombie ride jumps off with full-force, "comin' atcha like a blitz," with "Chevette," the ultimate album highlight. Introducing itself by means of some somber snare drumming, somewhat reminiscent of a marching band cadence, the song quickly explodes into a serious yet laid-back hybrid of youth-group Christian pop and intense art-rock. Comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to an old car, "Chevette" stands out as one of the most introspective and deep songs Audio A. has ever recorded, despite a horribly repetitive chorus ("In my chevette, yeah"). Mark Stuart is the real star on this song, as he shows off his relatively impressive vocal range, effortlessly jumping from a whisper to a shout. The band has remarked in the past that Some Kind of Zombie is their most artistic album, and this song certainly testifies to that.

"New Body"

This song has some interesting ideas, but it could have been better. The raging, hard-rocking verses suffer from some slightly cheesy apocalyptic imagery, while the chorus is a bit skimpy and repetitive (which is this album's biggest problem, sadly). The funky synthetic sounds and quirky vocals save this song from being a total disaster, though. I guess I'll give the band props for addressing a topic that Christian music doesn't discuss too frequently (the fact that we will eventually gain "new bodies" in the afterlife), though the song does come across as a bit goofy - perhaps that subject is ignored for a reason?

"Some Kind of Zombie"

Kicking off eerily with some ominous alarm-like sounds and a terrified scream (perhaps a sample from some horror movie?), the record's title cut is a stormy head-banger of a song, and it stands beside the best tracks of the band's career. Mark Stuart hits some mildly impressive high notes during the verses, along with some cool, "Bullet the Blue Sky"-style spoken word and even a bit of P.O.D.-like shouting. The guitar work on this song - performed by Barry Blair, in his final appearance with Audio Adrenaline - is phenomenal, mixing the rapid-fire style of U2's The Edge with a more conventional metal/grunge style. The lyrics here are actually a tiny bit cryptic - who knew Audio A. was capable of being obscure? They seem to be referencing the passage in the New Testament where Paul talks about being a slave to righteousness as opposed to sin, but I could be wrong.

"Original Species"

A mid-tempo, primarily-acoustic pop song with a surprisingly smart, feel-good chorus, "Original Species" is another favorite Audio Adrenaline song of mine, and one of the band's most underappreciated songs. Mark's passionate vocals on the bridge are just plain cool, and his enunciation on the chorus is rather odd - "I'm an or-i-GIN-al species..." Though the lyrics here don't really express anything we haven't heard, oh, a few trillion times in Christian music before (it's basically just a song about creation), it's actually a pretty poetic song, which makes it sound more profound than it really is.

"People Like Me"

Track #5 doesn't waste time with fancy intros - it kicks right into full-gear with a jerky riff, which sounds like either a guitar, a synthesizer, or both. Despite the computerized elements of the song, it's more of a rootsy pop/rock ditty, similar to "Good People" from Audio A.'s Bloom album. Tyler Burkum delivers a nice little guitar solo towards the end of the track, and the lyrics, which seem to be about unity, are, again, pretty poetic by Audio Adrenaline standards. In fact, it contains one of my favorite lines from the entire album - "I can't stand by myself anymore/ I forgot what we're fighting for." The bridge, which features both that cool lyric as well as a choir and some tasteful orchestral accompaniment, is the highlight of the song.

"Blitz"

This is the kind of song that has "made for youth groups" written all over it. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this song is a favorite among many of Audio A.'s teen fans. And there's nothing wrong with that. The song rocks relatively hard for a normally poppy band, the lyrics are typical Christian radio fare (the song is actually about a youth group, interestingly enough), and another youth group favorite, The O.C. Supertones, appear in a supporting role on "Blitz," adding some appropriately gruff vocals and some peppy horn blasts to the mix. This has never been a favorite of mine, mostly due to the bland lyrics and the fact that the phrase "fourteen kids in an old church van" is repeated constantly, but the jam session in the middle of the song is mildly amusing.

"Lighthouse"

After the appropriately-titled storm called "Blitz," it was mighty decent of the band to let us catch our breath with this song, one of Audio Adrenaline's more slow and contemplative. It also happens to be one of my favorites. Beginning gently with the whisper of a lone acoustic guitar but eventually kicking into full intensity with a solemn electric guitar and a few synthesizer beeps, "Lighthouse" is something of a lovely, emotional ballad, coupling one of the band's more introspective lyrics with a particularly emotive performance from the rough yet warm voice of Mark Stuart. There are a few wicked little guitar licks here and there and some beautiful lines in the lyric, which is essentially just a song of thanks, acknowledging Christ as the "lighthouse" on the "unforgiving sea" of life. If only Audio Adrenaline could write and play like this more often!

"Flicker"

For some reason, a lot of Audio A. fans ("Adrenaline Junkies") don't particularly care for this song, and I honestly wonder why - it's another one of my favorites from the band. I know I've said that about half the songs on Some Kind of Zombie so far, but hey... I warned you in advance that this was my favorite project from the group! A funky little number, vaguely in the vein of "People Like Me," "Flicker" finds Audio A. admitting to some of the hardships that face them as a rock band (separation from family, etc.), but ultimately flashing us an honest grin, as Mark sings that "my cross isn't hard to bear/ it's heavy, I am weak, but you are there." It's not exactly raw poetry, but it's an intriguing lyric, and I appreciate the honesty. There are, admittedly, some irritating "ba ba" backing vocals, but it's still a nice little pop song, and it serves as a fitting mission statement for the band, Audio Adrenaline's banner song, of sorts. Or, at least, it would be their banner song, if the fans liked it a bit more...

"God-Shaped Hole"

Why yes, this song does have some cheesy lyrics... however did you guess? Everyone from U2 to Plumb has used the "God-shaped hole" analogy by now, and, frankly, it wasn't that cute to begin with. This is very thinly-veiled Christian propaganda, not really that different from the "accept Jesus or DIE!" pseudo-Nazi cliches found on Skillet's Alien Youth record. Which is a shame, because the music here is sort of pretty - nothing to write home about, but a nice, softer track, making better use of background vocalists than "Flicker" did.

"Superfriend"

Whoa - a fast-paced rocker at the very end of an album? That's sort of unusual, but it works well. "Superfriend" puts the "adrenaline" in Audio A., and the frantic, garage-band-like rush of the song is nicely accented by some passionate shouts from Mark and an infectious guitar riff from Tyler. Unfortunately, the lyrics here are obviously meant to evangelize, and it's a well-known fact that most Christian bands falter quite a bit when they try to do that. The chorus is mildly clever, but ultimately preachy and rather irksome - "Does it offend you/ that I've got a friend who/ knows what you've been through/ says that he loves you." Uh-huh. Thanks, guys, for that profound bit of poetry. Moving right along...

"I see a plan so grandiose..."

Even if you don't particularly care for the music on Some Kind of Zombie, you have to at least admire the snazzy album artwork. Normally, I don't take the time to comment on the lyrics sleeve, but, with the exception of the goofy cover photo, Some Kind of Zombie's album art is really quite cool.

On the back of the CD case, there is a cluster of weird green symbols - one for each song on the record. For example, there's a picture of a car for "Chevette," a lightbulb for "Flicker," and a lighthouse for... uh, "Lighthouse." In the booklet itself, the symbols reappear, each one beside their song counterpart. Sound familiar? Well, that might be because U2 did something very similar for their All That You Can't Leave Behind lyrics insert. But Audio Adrenaline came up with it first (as far as I know), so it's only fair to give them credit, as the foresight and creativity shown on their album artwork is really quite impressive. Round of applause for the band, or whoever designed their CD jacket.

"Does it offend you...?"

Audio Adrenaline has been around for over a decade now, cranking out tunes that are consistently fun but only occasionally brilliant. And while none of their albums truly stand out as great, Some Kind of Zombie comes pretty close, with only one or two truly bad songs, and enough inspired moments to make this truly an album that deserves your attention. While it's not quite an "original species," it is an adequately creative sonic "blitz," with only a few shoddy lyrics, and enough energy to fill that Adrenaline-shaped hole in the heart of any pop/rock fan.

Review Summary

1. What does the album sound like?
Catchy, radio-ready pop/rock, with enough synthetic elements and little quirks here and there to keep things interesting and original.

2. Was the album well made?
With the exception of two or three lyrics, yes, a lot of work obviously went into this album, and it paid off. It's a bit better than the typical "Christian rock" release.

3. Will you enjoy this album?
Probably, if you enjoy Audio A.'s other work, or if you're a fan of pop/rock in general.

4. Final score: 3.5 out of 5.