ZAKK FOR REAL - Rockmontigny

​ZAKK FOR REAL

Rockmontigny
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Dom Eagle
​

Zakk For Real is the solo project of Zakk Davis, who is based out of Chilliwack, BC. He wrote and recorded his first album in his basement for a dear friend, which is a true testament to the passion and emotion behind his music. It took him no more than a few days to write the album, but he spent months mastering the piece to perfection. The initial spark comes in a burst, but professionalism is about patience, and that certainly shines through on Davis’ debut release. He’s been playing music for all of his life but the fact that he has only been writing music for a couple of years does surprise me. He’s been taking some time to figure out what his style is, and Davis is finally ready to offer something to which he believes listeners actually want to listen.

Rockmontigny is a six-track EP which opens with the simultaneously peaceful and chaotic insanity of its title track. A gentle chord progression, plucked delicately on an electric guitar leads the listener into what seems to be a pleasant, straightforward experience, but it ends up being much more exciting than that. Vocally, pop-punk-esque vocals tear through gripping, quirky and witty lyrical one-person conversations such as: “Hey man / What? / Wanna hang out tonight? / No, I’m way too damn tired to.” All the while, the song builds musically, as crashing drum cymbals and surf-esque guitar screeches into infinity. The track closes with multi-layered vocals clashing and crashing against themselves as Davis drones on about tiredness endlessly. The jovial, funny nature of the track makes this all the more insane, but awesome because of that.

The second track on the EP is entitled “Confused” and it’s a song impossible to summarize in words alone. It really has to be heard in order to truly be understood. An infectious bass line rhythm, viciously-pumping drums and multi-layered, fast-paced falsetto, along with screeching, guides this insane track forwards. Funky, horror-punk guitar ascends and descends alongside this vocal insanity, creating a bizarre, yet wonderful musical piece.

“Father Figurative” opens with a gentle chord progression, again laden with guitar picking and a gentle beat, but, as I expected, this was all a ruse. The track quickly explodes into electrifying and distorted power chords, screeching guitar solos and explosive drumming. Davis once again impresses me as an indie singer, as brutal, fractured, yet powerful screams ascend atop the metallic-rock force of the track. His musicianship truly shines through heavy, grungy, distorted tracks such as these. Impressive vocals aside, his written or improv work when it comes to guitar solos is worthy of note here.

​There are some incredibly catchy arpeggios and riffs at play on this release. Dark, twisted, fun and mind-blowing all at once; that’s how I’d describe the instrumental work, along with the vocals, on this EP.

Tweet