Description

This is indeed a historic moment: Exile On Mainstream is releasing for the first time a reissue of an album that has been completely sold out for years and was only released on CD on April 25, 2008. For the first time on vinyl, remastered: Heavy Zooo by BEEHOOVER.

The band writes about it: “Finally! Often wished for, thought about, and then dismissed. But now, finally, with the help of our favorite label, Heavy Zooo can come out the way we’ve wanted it to for the last 15 years: on vinyl!”

The reissue features original artwork, including a 4page folder containing the incredible war animal illustrations by Dirk Wachsmuth. All wrapped in a beautifully sleeve printed on reverse board, the LP housed in a polylined inner sleeve. The album was remastered for vinyl, now delivering the ultra punch.

Is it metal? Is it stoner rock? Is it jazz or even avant-garde? You know what? Just forget all those categories for a moment and answer this question: When was the last time someone tried to classify the Melvins? Or Primus? See! Ladies & Gentlemen – the Heavy Zooo opens its doors! Step inside and marvel at a collection of the most incredible creatures on this planet. Chimeras of groove and intelligence. Sounds that are both familiar and yet so new. Nothing here is one-dimensional. With just bass and drums, Beehoover achieve the squaring of the circle – crazy arrangements with an edge that make you want to dance but still leave you wide-eyed. These are the cornerstones between which the sounds of one of the most extraordinary German bands today stretch. Categorization seems impossible, even though Beehoover weaves influences from traditional styles together. In the truest sense of the word – the result is a tapestry of bass and drums, of emotional outbursts and psychotic melancholy. Claus-Peter Hamisch (drums) and Ingmar Peterson (bass) consistently try to avoid conventional structures and explore new paths, without losing sight of the song. Their approach is avant-garde, but the result is still melodic. Their engagement with sounds is intelligent and cerebral. Yet the result hits you in the gut – an effect that not many bands can achieve today.

The press in April 2008 wrote:

In short Beehoover have to play no favorites or deal with outside influences, they just write super riff oriented Kyuss-On-Caffeine riffs with progressive touches and everybody else can pretty much fuck off! (Skulls’n‘Bones USA)

A mouth-watering mix of Faith No More at their most unhinged, Kyuss at their grooviest, System Of A Down at their angriest and Tool at their most progressive … dangerous, unpredictable and breathlessly exciting. (Terrorizer)

This isn’t so much music, as visceral, raw heaviosity. If Motörhead, as Lemmy once famously claimed, could kill your neighbours lawn, Beehoover could blow their fucking house down, eat their children and rape their cat. These riffs could cause total enlightenment or they could melt your face off like the Nazi in Indiana Jones. This is metal not to be trifled with … Simply, earth-shatteringly awesome. (Subbacultcha UK)

… a skull-splitting rock album … (Metal Hammer UK)

… There just isn’t a weak link in Heavy Zooo’s majesty … Bold, beautiful and bewitching, all behold the brilliance of Beehoover! (Ninehertz UK)