ZEUP is a three-piece Heavy Rock band hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark. They record live in the studio, and have an old school analog sound; not unlike some of the mid to late seventies era metal acts. They possess a groove that is somewhat similar to their Nordic brethren KRYPTOGRAF; only, if anything, a touch heavier in their presentation. They released their first three song EP, "A Taste Of Zeup", in October of 2019. "Blind" is the follow up, and if it is an arrow pointing to the future direction of the band, I am 100% on board.

The release opens with the over the top "Illusions", which is a prime example of the sound I have already spoken about. The song has a tone and drive that is very reminiscent of post Dio-era BLACK SABBATH, maybe intertwined with the guitar sound of BUDGIE and Tony Bourge. The song opens with a thundering drum lick from Morten Barth, who is soon joined, in a full-on aural assault, by Bach and Rold. All too often, I have heard these "throwback" style artists come off sounding a bit over produced; but such is not the case here. The sound is very pure, and extremely heavy, without foregoing the integrity of the song.

"Illusions" checks in at just below two and a half minutes in length, and merely whets the appetite for the bombastic "Who You Are". This song opens with a sweet, linear guitar line that falls into a fantastic riff not unlike SOUNGARDEN'S "Outshined". It is heavy and rich in tone, with a vocal following the guitar work perfectly throughout the song. The band utilizes de-tuned instrumentation to accentuate their sound, and that is on full display here. Again, the three musicians work like they have played together forever, each one seemingly an extension of the other.

The last two tracks on the EP are the rollicking "Belief" and the well written and completely sublime title cut, "Blind". "Belief" has a more modern vibe to it, although, at its core, the old school, analog sound still shines through. The song is extremely rhythmic in delivery, offering up visions of earlier WHITE ZOMBIE releases. "Blind", however, falls right back into the same type of sound as the opener. The song is dark and daunting, offering up the central theme "Too much light will leave you blind".

I love the writing on this release, both lyrically and musically speaking. I can't wait to get a full-fledged album release from these guys, as they carry a torch I long to see coming.