The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.

In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Davide Straccione of Shores of Null, Spikerot Records, Tube Cult Fest, etc. (Pescara, Italy)

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How have you been you dealing with this crisis as a band? As an individual? What effect has it had on your plans or creative processes?

When the whole situation went haywire in Italy, at the end of February, I was driving the van for Mondo Generator on their European and UK tour. Nevertheless I was able to complete the tour and go back home safely around mid-March. I experienced live music until the very last minute possible, so I feel luckier than many others. Driving back home within a Country in lockdown was quite a shock. As for my bands, Zippo were on hold before and still are, the whole Covid-19 thing has just made things harder; on the other hand with Shores Of Null we managed to finish the recordings and mixing of our next album before the crisis.

2019 has been quite a busy year for me creative-wise, so I used the last couple of months to relax as much as I could, listen to music, watch movies and catching up with pending stuff. I also run a small label called Spikerot Records and although it’s a tough moment for the industry in general, there are still people buying records luckily. And of course I’ve been forced to cancel/postpone the two festivals I’m involved with: Tube Cult Fest and Frantic Fest.

How do you feel about the public response to the outbreak where you are? From the government response to the people around you, what have you seen and heard from others?

In the region where I live in Central Italy there are always less cases of Covid-19 but the situation in other regions, especially in the northern area, is still pretty bad. Since May 4th it is possible to visit relatives, to go out for a walk or exercise, not just for groceries or emergencies like before. Everyone is wearing masks and we’re all getting used to this new normal. From May 18th there will be a further loosening of limitations with re-opening of bars, restaurants, hair/beauty salons, but they’ll be all subject to very strict regulations. Another important matter is whether people will be allowed to go to the beach, and there will be regulations there too; I’m not a beach person myself but for most people it matters, especially in summer.

Government response is not pleasing everyone, what we know is that we’re living something totally unprecedented and it’s too early to say who’s right or wrong. I sometimes talk to friends all over the world, some have more freedom than others but in the end I only hope we’ll get through this.

What do you think of how the music community specifically has responded? How do you feel during this time? Are you inspired? Discouraged? Bored? Any and all of it?

Definitely not bored, spending time with myself and my girlfriend was something I really missed and I’m doing things that normal schedules wouldn’t allow. I’m fully convinced hard times always teach us something, and music community always comes together one way or another, even without concerts or festivals. They’ll come back, but please don’t tell me about drive-in concerts. I’d prefer one year without shows than a drive-in concert.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything? What is your new normal? What have you learned from this experience, about yourself, your band, or anything?

Support bands and underground labels as much as you can, we all know there are more important things to take care of, but if you have the possibility, just do it. We’re all struggling here but we all want to keep doing what we love. With Spikerot Records we’ve released the new albums of two amazing doom bands before this mess and I recommend you to check them out:

NAGA: https://spikerotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/void-cult-rising
ZOLFO: https://spikerotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/delusion-of-negation

From this experience I’ve learned that we always need to find time for ourselves, no matter how busy we are.

facebook.com/spikerotrecords
spikerot.com
facebook.com/shoresofnull
facebook.com/zippomusic
facebook.com/tubecultfest
facebook.com/franticfest
franticfest.it

[Click play above to listen to Zippo’s Ode to Maximum in its entirety. The full remaster with bonus tracks is out Nov. 2 on Spikerot Records.]

We live in an age where albums come out twice all the time. A band records on their own and does a self-release, digital or sometimes physical, and then later on at some point that record is picked up by a label for wider distribution and/or a physical pressing. The difference with Zippo‘s Ode to Maximum is that it’s happening 12 years later. Probably fair, then to call the Spikerot Records vinyl version of the then-five-piece Italian outfit’s debut full-length a reissue, what with the Tony Reed remaster, new cover art, bonus tracks and all, but its core desert rocking approach and forays into psychedelia on “Night Jam” and “Crazy Forest” lend a sonic reach to the grounded material surrounding.

The band is currently a four-piece with Alessandro Sergente on guitar, but in 2006, Sergente was joined by fellow guitarist Silvio Spina and bassist Tonino Bosco (Paolo Garofalo handles bass now), as well as vocalist Davide Straccione and drummer Federico Sergente, both of whom remain with Zippo now. Based in Pescara on the Adriatic Coast, they’ve done three albums since Ode to Maximum in the form of 2009’s The Road to Knowledge (discussed here), 2011’s Maktub and 2016’s After Us (discussed here), and each time branched out someplace new from where they started with the original 10 tracks of Ode to Maximum, which from the Lowrider-style wah of “Forgotten Season” to the suitably named thick-toned stomper “The Elephant March” and the careening “Tukay’s Fury” that precedes, basks in the glory days of the heavy rock movement that started a decade before it was made.

It was the MySpace era, but Zippo concerned themselves more with the doings of Kyuss and certainly offshoot project Slo Burn, whose “July” is covered as one of the bonus tracks here, recorded in 2014, in the early and mid ’90s. With a raw-ish production and a mix that puts the bass as the foundation of songs like “Kid in the Desert,” however otherwise led by the riffs they may be, Zippo tapped early into what have since become some of the most enduring aspects of the original Californian desert rock movement — and we’ll throw some Sweden in there for Lowrider, too — while putting their own inevitable stamp on the approach with a sense of rhythmic quirk, gutted-out vocals and diverse songwriting.

Beginning with the intro “Alpha” and ending with the complementary “Omega,” Ode to Maximum unfurls a self-aware sonic blend of chunky-style riffing on “Tsunami Dust” with the fervent rumble establishing itself beneath the two guitars and Straccione‘s vocals. A departure into a playfully-malevolent break brings some element of Faith No More to the proceedings, but as “Tsunami Dust” moves into highlight cut “S.N.A.P.R.S.T.,” the jazzy interlude and aggro finish in the latter already has some context hinting toward its arrival. Clearly Zippo were never just about mimicry of the Californian scene, and the rest of Ode to Maximum bears that out.

Originally a 45-minute outing — the bonus tracks push that to 55 on the remaster — Ode to Maximum has a linear fluidity that speaks to the time of its release, when CD was still the dominant physical media, if in decline with the increasing reach of the digital sphere. The handclaps in “Forgotten Season,” either natural or keyboard — something about them is awfully consistent sounding — vocal layering and manic lead guitar are nonetheless standout factors emblematic of the manner in which songs are distinguished throughout. In addition to the new CD release, though, Spikerot has a 2LP version of the album, and one imagines the same distinguishing factors help establish a breadth as Zippo move from one song and one side to the next.

I won’t claim to know where the sides split, but “Night Jam” is a serene departure from “Forgotten Season,” and “Kid in the Desert” renews the quirked-up post-Kyuss thrust ahead of “Crazy Forest,” which is the longest cut on the album at eight minutes, and if that’s side B, then it’s a solid one. “Crazy Forest” taps into progressive nuance to go along with its standout nodder fuzz riff — something of a foreshadow for the seven-minute “The Elephant March” still to come — and ends with an almost hypnotic rhythm before a last-second shove leads the way into “Tukay’s Fury.”

As it’s sandwiched between the two longest tracks, it would make sense that it’s the shortest (non-intro/outro) piece at 3:22, with starts and stops in the verses shifting into a high-gear hook with a high-energy delivery the whole way through until finally the thing seems to crash to its finish and directly into the start of “The Elephant March,” which is obviously intended as the apex of the record. And so it is. Big riffs get bigger as it courses through its second half, finishing at about six minutes in so the last minute can be consumed by a swell of insect noise, either flies or bees. Kind of a curious choice with “Omega” still to follow and lead the way out of the album as a whole, but it was 2006. Times were crazy. “Omega” fluidly answers “Alpha” with a minute or so of riffing and some sustained ringout that fades to a finish, leaving just “Night Jam #2” — heavier, proggier, more plotted — and the aforementioned Slo Burn redux to cap.

Though recorded later, “July” is a pretty fitting conclusion for Ode to Maximum, and the treatment they give it — again, the bass — does right by the original while allowing Zippo to make their mark on it as well. The album preceding functions in much the same way, portraying a band working their way toward an understanding of who they are as a group and what they want to bring to the tenets of their chosen genre. They’ve gone on to answer that question with subsequent albums, so in a way it’s like cheating to listen to Ode to Maximum and know the future, but a debut release is a special moment for a band that doesn’t come again, and this look back gives Zippo a chance to emphasize how far they’ve come since as well as the clarity of mission with which they started out.

Zippo, “Tsunami Dust” official video

Zippo on Thee Facebooks

Zippo on Instagram

Zippo on YouTube

Spikerot Records on Thee Facebooks

Spikerot Records on Instagram

Zippo‘s debut album, Ode to Maximum, originally came out 12 years ago as a self-release. Time for a reissue? Yeah, definitely. The Italian heavy rockers will put Ode to Maximum back out on Nov. 2 via Spikerot Records as their first release through the imprint as their 2016 long-player, After Us (discussed here), was on Apocalyptic Witchcraft. The first record has been given new art — see it below, also in your most colorful nightmares — and a remaster by none other than Tony Reed of Mos Generator. It will also feature two bonus cuts, one of which is a cover of Slo Burn‘s “July,” which, if it’s not already stuck in your head just by reading the title, I humbly submit you’ve probably never heard the song. I’m gonna be walking around the rest of the day going “Joo-li-hi.” There are worse fates.

The PR wire brings details and a link for preorders. Have at it:

ZIPPO – Ode to Maximum / Reissue 2018

Since 2004 Zippo have led the pack of the Italian Stoner Rock and Heavy Psych movement. Zippo have always been about the music, which is actually very hard to define as they include elements of Prog Rock, Psych, Stoner, Sludge, Doom, Noise and even Post-Metal.

Zippo thrive on creating different sounds and challenging people to use their very heart and soul to fully experience the band’s musical vision. A winning philosophy has seen Zippo release four critically acclaimed albums: Ode To Maximum (Self-released, 2006), The Road To Knowledge (Subsound Records, 2009), Maktub (Subsound Records, 2011) and After Us (Apocalyptic Witchcraft, 2016). Spikerot Records will take care of the re-issue of the band’s classic Ode To Maximum both on CD and Vinyl, giving it a new life after many years gone sold-out, with a completely new artwork by Davide Mancini (Dartworks.com) and tracks remastered by Tony Dallas Reed (Mos Generator, Stone Axe), including two bonus tracks.

There is one thing you can say about Zippo’s albums – They all sound different to each other. Zippo always push the boundaries of what is musically possible, which has seen them classed as one of Italy’s finest Heavy Rock bands currently out there. Zippo have played Live all over Europe to rapturous applause from fans and critics alike, being described as one of the coolest, loudest and dangerous bands you are ever likely to witness live.

release date: 02/11/2018
label: SPIKEROT RECORDS
catalog number: SPK004
FORMAT: CD DIGIPAK / 2xLP / DIGITAL

Preorders: https://www.spikerot.com/ricerca?controller=search&order=product.position.desc&s=maximum

TRACKLIST
1. Alpha
2. Tsunami Dust
3. S.N.A.P.R.S.T.
4. Forgotten Season
5. Night Jam
6. Kid In The Desert
7. Crazy Forest
8. Tukay’s Fury
9. The Elephant March
10. Omega
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Night Jam #2
12. July (Slo Burn Cover)

CURRENT LINE UP
Davide Straccione – Vocals
Alessandro Sergente – Guitars
Paolo Garofalo – Bass
Federico Sergente – Drums

ODE TO MAXIMUM LINEUP
Davide Straccione – Vocals
Alessandro Sergente – Guitars
Silvio Spina – Guitars
Tonino Bosco – Bass
Federico Sergente – Drums

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https://www.youtube.com/user/ZippoMusicOfficial
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Zippo, Ode to Maximum (2006)

I’m not sure what the story of the video for Zippo‘s track “Comatose” actually has to do with the song itself, but it certainly captures the mood of brash, noise rock aggression. It’s a tale of classic gangster violence — a slice of life and death presented in kind with the Italian band’s rumbling, shout-topped groove. The song comes from Zippo‘s fourth album, After Us, which was released back in March via UK imprint Apocalyptic Witchcraft, and finds the band hitting the decade mark since their debut full-length while also working as a four-piece for the first time. While a Toshi Kasai mix might account for some of the edge one hears in “Comatose,” there’s always been more than one side to Zippo‘s approach, and that holds true for After Us as well.

While “Comatose” bruises like the brawl at the end of its video, “Familiar Roads” — which follows immediately on the album — builds tribal tension into prog-metal harmonies as “Adrift (Yet Alive)” digs into grunge scour and unhinged layers of fuzzgrind, and even a seemingly simple cut like the earlier “After Us” refuses to be defined in its asking the question of what might happen if Mike Patton fronted Alice in Chains. And all of this happens before closer “The Leftovers” waits until about the sixth of its total seven minutes to lock-in After Us‘ cohesive payoff, the prior six minutes of build obviously a tension inflicted on purpose, so while the relatively brief push of “Comatose” is telling on some levels, it’s by no means everything Zippo have to say with the album.

And it’s more gutpunch than handshake, but if you missed the record release in March and the band’s prior video for “Low Song,” as I did, it’s a vicious but enticing introduction. Made me want to dig further, anyhow.

Enjoy the video below, followed by more info from the PR wire:

Zippo, “Comatose” official video

‘Comatose’ is the second video from Zippo’s 4th album ‘After Us’, released in March by the Uk label Apocalyptic Witchcraft. The video is directed by Francesco Brancacci.

Zippo have always been about the music, which is actually very hard to define as they include elements of Prog Rock, Psych, Stoner, Sludge, Doom, Noise and even Post-Metal. Zippo thrive on creating different sounds and challenging people to use their very heart and soul to fully experience the band’s musical vision.

A winning philosophy has seen Zippo release three critically acclaimed albums: Ode To Maximum (Self-produced, 2006), The Road To Knowledge (Subsound Records, 2009), Maktub (Subsound Records, 2011). Album number four was unleashed by Uk based Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings in March 2016.

Zippo on Thee Facebooks

Zippo website

Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings website

I’ve found the Italian psychedelic scene a curiosity for a while now, as it seems the lineage from early prog/acid acts like Paul Chain has bred out in multiple directions to a vast array of styles, from the straightforward fuzz rock of Black Rainbows to the megadoom of Ufomammut. Brought to my attention by Obelisk attendee and Misfits überfan Kieps, the band Zippo seem to incorporate all the elements their countrymen have each based a band on within a single sound.

The miracle in that is they come out of it with something cohesive. Zippo formed in 2004 (practically forever ago by now), and have played with the lines of Brant Bjork, Stonebride and Witchcraft, as well as having a slot at the 2009 Stoned Hand of Doom fest in Roma alongside such luminaries as The Heads, Obiat and Serpentcult. Not too shabby by any measure.

But more important is the sound. While they began under the guise of stoner rock, the material on their Subsound Records debut, The Road to Knowledge proves much more diverse, at least going by the tracks on their MySpace. They claim to have taken inspiration from Carlos Castaneda‘s The Teachings of Don Juan, and whatever birthed it, their heady, conscious rock is bound to pique the interest of any open-minded listener. And who knows, maybe a few of the other kind too.