REVIEW: Robotic Lunch "Zangief"

Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Lee Aldridge, bassist and vocalist Chris Fleming, and drummer Bob Little, Robotic Lunch is a Canadian rock band whose name may give you the wrong idea about their sound.  Rather than relying on technology, such as programmed rhythms and synthesizers, this is a guitar-driven power trio, drawing on influences from bands such Soundgarden, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and Alice In Chains.  As these influences would indicate, Robotic Lunch dishes up heavy and filling musical cuisine.  Zangief, perhaps named after a namesake video game street fighter, is Robotic Lunch’s introductory entrèe.

Possessing a voice somewhere between that of Chris Cornell and the late Josh Clayton-Felt (School of Fish), Aldridge both counters and compliments the heaviness of Robotic Lunch’s sound with the ability to wail, while adding pop sensibility.  To put it simply, Aldridge is much more of a singer than a screamer, and that’s a good thing.  Critically-acclaimed as an IOMA award-winning guitarist, his six-string abilities are characterized by a combination of thick and heavy riffs and searing solos.  Fleming and Little are likewise proficient on bass and drums, and Zangief reveals cohesiveness developed over six year of gigs and practices in and around Ontario.


Apparently a nod to Robotic Lunch’s assumed affinity for computers and video games, “010101001001001100″, with it’s blips and bleeps, serves as a short intro.  Between this, the band name and album title, you get the sense that maybe these guys know how to have fun and not take themselves too seriously.  However, the overall tone of Zangief certainly is serious. “Volatile” is a no-nonsense rocker, fueled by thick and distorted guitar riffs, and razor-sharp accents.  As Aldridge sings, “It takes way too long for you to crack the code / It may look like gold from here but I can tell you that it’s gonna explode / These lights are burning me / And now I cannot see / I’ll turn my plan to flee from this fight / So volatile”, the message is clearly one of warning.  Further references to a “world coming up from below” and of one who “made a trade for an eternity of self-defeat”, are perhaps apocalyptic in nature.  Though intense, both the lyrically and musically, “Volatile” is melodic and memorable in a most attention-getting sort of way.

“Circles”, possibly the clearest reflection of the Alice In Chains influence, is heavy and brooding, filled with sledgehammer riffs and three-part harmonies.  With “Seen Enough”, Robotic Lunch does what they do best by combining muscular rhythms and pop catchiness.  Dynamic instrumental play is accentuated by openness at various points as the heaviness lets up and comes back in at the just the right time.  The message could be perceived as either encouraging or sarcastic as Aldridge sings, “Wake up, let’s go / I can’t imagine there’s more to know / Each day renewed again / I’m stuck inside these walls I’ve built / It’s time to get up….”
On “Richard Ball”, Little’s thundering drums and Aldridge’s wailing guitar give way to chugging and changing riffs, ala King’s X and the Galactic Cowboys.  The song is either autobiographical or about the main character (Richard Ball?), and seems to tell of the perils of isolation.  “Nothing There” reveals Aldridge at his most Clayton-Felt-esque as he sings of paranoia and the feelings of not being free.  Whether or not these are self-examining is difficult to discern.

Not the name of a distance planet, “Onandon” is actually the words “on and on” cleverly combined, and the title of what may be the album’s most brutal sonic assault.  With processed and gutteral vocals, Aldridge sings, “Waking up anew / The battle (?) / Something’s got to give / Just don’t repeat defeat / It goes on and on” and “back on this treadmill again / I can’t get anywhere / Still I try to fight but there’s no end in sight / It just goes on and on.” It seems Aldridge is referring to a personal, perhaps spiritual battle.
Continuing with a pervading minor-key sound, “That’s What They Say” is a vignette, offering welcomed relief with it’s acoustic base.  With lyrics such as, “I call, you’re there to wash away the fear” it’s not certain whether they’re personal and devotional in nature or perhaps being considered, as, well, “that’s what they say”.

“Fossils”, at nine minutes in length, is reflective, thought-provoking and musically engaging.  Little is impressive with his paradiddle rhythms, and likewise Fleming, as he keeps things anchored with steady, grooving bass lines.  “Earth over me, just a memory me / But I left my mark, we’re not afraid of the dark / One minute here, next minute gone / When singing (?) / We won’t be waiting for long” and “I want it, you need it / And you don’t really care / I want it, you need it / Now I’m pulling out my hair” come across as enigmatic, maybe indicative of an intensive search and struggle for meaning and truth.  Later, when with soaring vocals, Aldridge sings “Thought it was something / Now I know that it’s nothing / I thought it was something more / Now give me more”, he seems to thirst for deeper meaning and purpose in life, perhaps in dissatisfaction with what the world has to offer.  It’s compelling, thoughtful and challenging stuff.

Zangief is a solid debut from Robotic Lunch.  Overall, the sound is intense and offers evidence of impressive musicianship while serving as vehicle to communicate and express thoughts both personal and observational.  While it’s likely not all of the songs will win over listeners, “Seen Enough”, “Volatile”  and “Nothing There” have particularly strong potential to increase Robotic Lunch’s audience and have them wondering what might be next added to the menu.
Review by Mike Roots
Rating:  4 stars (out of 5)