“Toss A Coin” is the latest release by IQ Zero, a superb German band based in Bayern. It’s their first piece of work this year and a second full-length, arriving after “Time,” their critically acclaimed debut album released in 2017 that you should also check out as soon as possible. Heavily promoted with “Keeping Guard, “Piece Of Mind,” and “Torn Apart (Back To Gerda),” three excellent singles that vividly showcase what you might expect of the remainder of this release, IQ Zero demonstrates how melodic punk rock should sound nowadays. The band expertly blends some of the finest properties of modern punk rock together, creating a lush and energetic ambiance suitable for even the pickiest listeners seeking cleverly assembled, wisely written, and flawlessly performed music. Perhaps modern melodic punk rock comes to mind first, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon the fundamentals of skate punk, pop-punk, melodic hardcore, and indie rock music. By merging all these sonic ingredients, IQ Zero successfully resonates with the sound quality that satisfies all the trends of modern music production yet brings a subtle dosage of nostalgia to the table, equally flirting with both old and new fans of the genre and beyond. Lyrically, the band covers a wide array of themes. From personal to socio-political, these songs explore everything from love to politics, various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances in such a poetic, storytelling, profoundly detailed manner.
IQ Zero channels everything you dearly love about melodic punk rock sound. There’s melody, harmony, and anthemic vibe pervading from all possible sides yet there’s a decent dosage of rawness, abrasiveness, and grittiness that makes “Toss A Coin” such a compelling album worth spinning over and over again. Their ability to convey all these qualities through catchy, memorable, engaging songs where every vocal harmony, chord progression, bassline, and rhythmic pattern resonates with immense power, makes them not only one of the finest German but European punk rock outlets. The vocals play a major role in this sonic equation, with all those profoundly melodic yet raspy harmonies channeling important messages about the state of the world we are living in. You’ll hear how all those soulful, passionate, sincere, confident, emotional, powerful melodic chants, screams, and shouts pervade from all possible sides, elevating everything to new heights, commanding attention, and guiding the listening apparatus from scratch to finish. With such incredible vocal maneuvers that seamlessly glide low, mid, and high notes yet deliver more than necessary aggression, IQ Zero immediately convinces the listeners to take a deep dive into the lyric sheet and further introduce themselves to the band’s thoughts and beliefs. With the additional back vocals and singalongs, “Toss A Coin” sounds even more exciting and powerful, as the band brings particular segments or the entire songs to another level while contributing subtle aggression and more detail.
Just like the vocal harmonies, the guitar works sound impressive. You’ll notice how the interplays between multiple layers construct a fascinating, complex, energetic soundscape, suitable for even the pickiest punk rockers. Cleverly assembled, and flawlessly performed, catchy chord progressions and riffs resonate on one side while the other shines with magnificent, memorable, luxuriant leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, and other sonic maneuvers. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these guitar layers articulate together without overwhelming each other, further demonstrating IQ Zero’s dedication to the craft. The band even thoughtfully measured the amounts of distortion during particular moments, so the guitar works range from heavily fuzzy over semi-distorted to almost clean, making this material as diverse, entertaining, and versatile as much as possible. Of course, there are other instruments included along the way. Take keys, for example, an instrument that makes some tracks even more details with solos, themes, and chord progressions. IQ Zero left no stone unturned while working on “Toss A Coin,” and it’s hearable throughout the entire album. Of course, there are also equally impressive basslines, rumbling beneath the guitar works with all those rich, deep, dense, and heavy notes. These low-ends provide more heaviness, clarity, and depth with all those chunky, fat tones while simultaneously contributing groove and detail to the entire material. The exceptional drumming performance based upon wisely assembled, expertly performed, well-accentuated, dynamic beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics keep everything in line while also dictating groove and pace. Each instrument plays a significant role in this sonic equation, making “Toss A Coin” worth spinning repeatedly.
While the entire album sounds incredible, it’s good to mention some of the standout tracks. “Torn Apart (Back To Gerda,” “Farewell,” “Simpatico,” “Barricades,” “Worn Out,” “Piece Of Mind,” and “Keeping Guard” are just some of the standouts, but the remainder of the album sounds equally impressive. Seriously, there are no fillers here, as the band paid attention to even the details and nuances while assembling this banger. It’s one of those records you’ll dearly hold in your record collection. IQ Zero showcases all their experience, knowledge, skills, and talent through these tracks, so you surely don’t want to miss “Toss A Coin.” It’s also good to mention the packaging. “Toss A Coin” arrives on a 180gr vinyl, housed in a hefty, high-quality gatefold sleeve and it includes a colossal full-color poster, lyric sheet, and download code. Therefore, head to their website or visit Pauli Punker Records for more information about ordering this gem.
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