Zen Guerrilla: Positronic Raygun

San Francisco's Zen Guerrilla has been building up strength since 1991, and if the power it unleashes on the new Positronic Raygun is any indication, there will be no stopping the band from here on out. The lead track, a one-riff defibrillator of an instrumental called "Saucerships To Ragtime," heralds the opening of an album that unabashedly rocks harder and better than any recording of the last five years. Zen Guerrilla's music smacks of gospel, blues, punk, Led Zeppelin, swirling noise, and influences too far down in the muck for anyone to trace without a map and a microscope. Smart hooks, locomotive drumming, and a carnival barker cum auctioneer cum lead singer combine to create a revival-meeting of sound. Positronic Raygun is loud, flashy, and excessive, and it will move you to new places. Welcome Zen Guerrilla into your life before it forces its way in.