ZODIAC ASS? What kind of name is this? I swear that at first I thought it was one of those parody Metal bands, but their aggressive Thrash Metal tunes immediately made me change my mind. So, this Austrian quartet had released its self financed debut full-length album back in 2006, something that later led them to sign a contract with Refused Records for the release of their sophomore release "A Monument Of Human Ignorance".

What is so special about these guys? Well, nothing, without this being a positive or a negative thing. ZODIAC ASS is a Thrash Metal band that draws influences from the titans of the genre like TESTAMENT, SEPULTURA, ANNIHILATOR, METALLICA, PANTERA, etc. The riffing is mostly old school with some wannabe modern mid tempo parts, mostly due to the tempo changes by the pretty good rhythm section this band has. Even though I was prepared to face some powerful classic Thrash vocals, I was disappointed to see one more band featuring "brutal" vocals, something that has became a bit tiring if you ask me. Anyway, the sound was also a bit weak, since ZODIAC ASS's aggressive Thrash Metal could use a bit more heaviness. Musically, the band is not that bad since I listened to "A Monument Of Human Ignorance" many times until I write this review and I came up with two conclusions...

The band did not become boring at any point, featuring some parts where I really caught my self banging my head, but on the other hand, I didn't find anything amazing that could make ZODIAC ASS special. Hmmm, I guess these Austrian guys are one more of those New Wave Of Thrash Metal bands for the time being.