Surface to Air is Zombi's second LP and quite an impressive one at that. Showcasing layered synth and groovy bass-lines performed by Steve Moore accompanied by the ever talented and unstoppable Anthony Paterra on drums. Catchy as hell, the tunes on this album are progressive but do not contain any nauseous durations aside from the final track that clocks in around 18 minutes. For the most part this is prog-lite. Yet it still contains the fundamental reasons why people enjoy prog. The songs keep changing and keep you guessing. The songs draw you in and paint a sound scape. Yet the songs leave you wanting more.
The songs are reminiscent of Rush, music from early 90's PC shooters(Duke Nukem, Doom, ETC) and just progressive rock in general. The images in your head provided by the tunes on this album range from taking off at hyper drive into deep space, to emerging from the warm nest of a future ice bunker on a frozen Earth. The entire album seems to be highly influenced by science fiction. Despite there being no lyrics or vocals on this album the speaks sonically. Creating atmosphere and emotion with a futuristic touch.
Now there is an issue with the final track and the reason is that it strays from the reasons why this album is so great. Don't get me wrong it's a pretty good track and the only true prog track on the album...but It falls into the same pitfalls as other prog that keep the common man from enjoying(Length + Notable filler). Instead of the instant satisfaction of the previous 4 tracks, "Night Rhythms" takes a good 6 minutes to really kick in and deliver the synth filled goods. Only to doze off into ambience shortly after. It's too long for the slight pay-off at the end. It's the only weak track on the album and is highly skip-able for those without patience.
Over-all this album is a delicious trek into space and beyond. I'd recommend this album to almost anybody, especially those into progressive music. This is the common man's prog. Short...sweet...delicious...aside from the final track.
Recommended tracks:
Challenger Deep - 4/5
Digitalis - 4.5/5
Legacy - 5/5
Surface To Air - 3.5/5
Final rating - 4
