Zombies Rule- Play Loud

Mike E. Clark is known for providing an eclectic musical approach in his hip hop production. In Barry Walters' Rolling Stone review of The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, Walters wrote that Clark's production incorporates elements of "carnival organ riffs, power chords and shotgun blasts, banjo like plucking and Van Halen-esque guitar squeals." Allrovi writer David Jeffries called Clark's production style a fusion of electro, funk and "Oingo Boingo-like mad-clown melodies", comparing Clark to George Clinton and Danny Elfman. Clark has cited numerous influences on his music, including punk and heavy metal artists such as Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, The Cramps, The Clash, Fugazi, and System of a Down, funk musicians Rick James, Prince, James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, blues, jazz and R&B musicians like Serge Gainsbourg, Al Green, Billie Holiday, Curtis Mayfield, Buddy Miles, Bessie Smith and Howlin' Wolf, alternative musicians like Beck, Faith No More, Hüsker Dü, Pixies and Ween, progressive rock artists Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa, and hip hop artists such as Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes, Geto Boys, Grandmaster Flash and N.W.A, as well as artists David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Madonna, Bob Marley, Klaus Nomi, War, Yoko Ono and Warren Zevon, and producers Rick Rubin and Phil Spector. These influences have led Clark to create his new label, Electric Lab Recordings.  Of this label he says “it’s basically an outlet for myself to get material out without having to run thru "the powers that be” completely D.I.Y. (do it yourself)” The first release on this new label is Zombies Rule- Play Loud.  This album is a solo/side project for Clark.  He explains the album is “basically me doing everything with a bit of help from random friends, musicians and anyone who wants to “throw down” for fun.”   Track listing

1. We Rule
2. We Roam
3. Panic
4. Winter
5. Shot
6. The 7^th City (The Detroit Song) alt mix
7. It’s A Crime
8. Last Song (Zombies Rule)
9. Zombie Ending
10. E.M.P.R. Ft Dan Diamond

  Track by track review and rating

1. We Rule- A very interesting track in concept.  Lyrically it has very few things going on but musically it is diverse and enjoyable.  A nice lead off to this album.  7/10
2. We Roam- An old school beat leads into some wicked guitars.  The verses are done well.  This track is very similar in sound to MEC previous work with ICP.  There is a hook that is simple but effective.  8/10
3. Panic- This track is very busy and a little hard to digest.  A mix of industrial and hip hop that works at times.  This is a track you would find in an underground industrial club.  Some listeners will find the complexity in sound to be distracting at times.  6/10
4. Winter- This track continues the industrial sound and theme.  A good driving beat leads lyrics that are hard to hear due to the levels between music and lyrics.  It is definitely unique and would work well in a live setting.  7/10
5. Shot- The beat in this track is stripped way down from everything else before it.  Lyrically it is very limited.  There is a mix of movie sounds throughout the track but this is primarily an instrumental.  7/10
6. The 7^th City (The Detroit Song) alt mix ft Nikki Corvette- This track takes an approach that is 180 degrees different from the rest of the album.  This song is simple guitar backing lyrics all about Detroit.  A nice change of pace.  7/10
7. It’s A Crime- A simple beat backed with effective guitar chords.  Once again the album is mostly instrumental with very limited speaking throughout.  6/10
8. Last Song (Zombies Rule)- Musically this track is very unique and diverse.  Spoken word behind the music again in this one.  7/10
9. Zombie Ending- This is not a track in its concept or delivery.  It is an ending to the album one track early.  Very interesting things going on behind a kind of white noise.  N/A
10. E.M.P.R. Ft Dan Diamond- A simple beat backed with guitar back lyrics delivered by Dan Diamond.  The lyrics are all about sex and sexual acts.  E.M.P.R. stands for eat my pussy right and that sums up the lyrical content.  7/10

  Overall Rating: 6.8/10 Conclusion:  You can hear Mike E Clark’s influence and sound immediately.  A majority of this album would be very good in a live club scene due to its limited lyrics.  This album definitely is a concept album and pushes the limits at times.  There is a time and place for this album and most fans of industrial hip hop/rock will find it enjoyable at times.  This album is a very nice album to put in and listen to as you work on things.  The minimal lyrics and enjoyment factor make this album worth picking up and adding to your collection.