Zombi

Spirit Animal

[4/5]

Zombi’s third LP is a time-warp through the ’80s and back, with five cinematic pieces that slowly unspool over 58 minutes. With analog synths set to “stun,” the Pittsburgh duo (still) sound like the soundtrack from a lost John Carpenter film (think Escape From New York or Ghosts Of Mars). Anthemic guitars thaw the eerie “Spirit Animal” like fading sunlight. The band’s “space rock” tag also melts in the piece’s second and third movements, as bassist-keyboardist Steve Moore literally synthesizes woodwinds and strings. The proggy keys workout “Spirit Warrior” recalls various eras of prog kings Yes. The funk-infected “Earthly Powers” could be outtakes from the Rush demo that yielded “Tom Sawyer.” More typical are the tribal climax of “Cosmic Powers” and the crushing 17-minute “Through Time,” a stoner-jam expressway to outer and inner space. (RELAPSE; relapse.com) D.X. Ferris