Planet of Zeus – ‘Faith in Physics’: In Physics we trust!

I decided to broaden my knowledge, and what better way to do it than getting into physics. After all, it's the foundation for the rules of the entire universe. But don't worry! You haven't accidentally landed on Science! You're on Fuzzy Hound, so we'll be keeping things musical. The latest album from Planet of Zeus titled ‘Faith in Physics’ comes to put our faith in the basic principles to the test... The album is released on Heavy Psych Sounds (Facebook, Instagram).

Believe in the Science!

I'd been wanting to dive into a Planet album for a while now. However, albums like ‘Macho Libre’ and ‘Vigilante’, as beloved as they are, were quite old by now. And for ‘Faith in Physics’ I chose to do my review a bit belatedly. But that was on purpose, since I wanted the sound of the album to settle in me. Looking at the album from the cover, and generally trying to decode the spirit of the record, I can say it gives nothing away.

Listening to the album

‘Faith in Physics’ is an album that differentiates itself from the band's older work. In no case, however, should you expect to hear an album without the elements of Planet of Zeus that we've come to love. Μπάμπης keeps 'shaking' us with his vocals, Yog keeps 'spawning' killer riffs, and J.V. and Σεραφείμ create a thick rhythmic wave that sweeps us along in its wake.

So what's changed?! The band moves along much more melodic paths. The power of Planet of Zeus was and is their intensity. Now, they channel that intensity into sounds with less bulk and much more riff-oriented tracks. At the same time, the vocal lines are clearly calmer (in most places), without that meaning they're soft! This is the most defining element that characterizes this new album. Planet managed to keep the same intensity while reducing the bulk of their sound. The guitar riffs become more and more distinct in the mix.

Rhythmically, the bass and drums retain their weight and texture. This is exactly what makes me feel that while there are changes in the sound, the core elements remain unaltered.

Editor's Choice: ‘All These Happy People’ and ‘Your Song’

In my personal opinion, ‘All These Happy People’ is one of the strongest tracks on the album. To start, the main riff is excellent! It'll get stuck in your head. The switch to the atmospheric riff in the verse is excellent too. Especially this second one, it has something particularly appealing. P.S. I looped this track many times until I'd had my fill and let myself move on! Enjoy it!

‘Loves of my life, loves of my life
Gotta keep you all for me, eternally mine
There's a devil in me, trust me and just roll the dice
Bring me my whiskey and marry me twice’

On the other hand, ‘Your Song’ is a track that grabbed me mainly because of its lyrics. Musically it has a really nice flow and melody. However, its lyrics make me feel it's a personal dedication from Planet to all of us listeners!

‘We're coming from the underground
This is me and you, this is our sound
It's alright, we've made amends

We're failing to make you proud
Our destiny is clear and loud
We have to reach the end’

In conclusion

Could we say that ‘Faith in Physics’ marks a new path for the band? It's certainly an album with differences from the previous ones. Planet of Zeus offer a more refined sound and very high-quality tracks. Of course we'll always love their old, good, 'stomach-punching' songs. However, this new take comes across as particularly interesting and, in my opinion, successful! The band doesn't seem to be resting on their past successes, but shows a willingness to experiment.

Having also watched their latest live show (at the ‘Παρνασσός Φιλολογικός Σύλλογος’ (– Facebook) via the Onassis Foundation (– Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)), Planet of Zeus keep their dynamism unchanged with the new tracks. We're looking forward, then, with great interest to their upcoming works, as well as to the chance to enjoy them live!