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San Jose Heavyweights Team With Vancouver Power Trio For Local Shows

By Dave Pehling

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Laying down their hard-swinging style of blues-tinged heavy rock for the past dozen years, San Jose-based quartet ZED play a pair of Bay Area shows with Vancouver, B.C., power trio  La Chinga this weekend.

ZED
ZED

Core players Pete Sattari (guitar/vocals) and Mark Aceves (bass) have been making music together since the late '90s. They had collaborated in the metallic, alt/indie-rock outfit Stitch -- which had their self-produced debut picked up by Metal Blade/Prosthetic Records in addition to recording with noted producer Alex Newport (Melvins, The Mars Volta) -- and the group Mercury Sound prior to founding ZED with Stitch drummer Rich Harris and lead guitarist Greg Lopez in 2007.

Lunatics And Liars by zedrocknow on YouTube

Taking their time to develop a sound that drew on both classic '70s metal and hard rock influences as well as the more modern sounds that emerged in Seattle in the late '80s (particularly Soundgarden and Alice In Chains), the quartet released their debut album The Invitation in 2010. Embracing a crunchy, groove-oriented attack on tunes like "Lunatics and Liars" and "Leave Me Alone," ZED crafted a style of tuneful heaviness that fit comfortably alongside established bands like Clutch, Audioslave and Queens of the Stone Age.

The group further refined its approach over the next three years of writing and recording its sophomore effort Desperation Blues, an accomplished effort that added elements of funk and languid balladry to the mix. The album also caught the ear of East Bay heavy rock imprint Ripple Music, who signed the band and released the third ZED album, Trouble In Eden, in 2016.

ZED - Royale by zedrocknow on YouTube

Another exponential leap forward, the recording garnered the band critical praise and paved the way for some of ZED's most extensive touring yet with trips to Texas and Europe. While Harris would depart from the band following the album's release, the quartet landed on its feet with the addition of veteran Bay Area drummer Sean Boyles (Death Angel singer Mark Osegueda's side project All-Time Highs, Bloodline, Insolence).

Since then, the band has continued to spread the word of its muscular sound, making multiple appearances at South By Southwest as well as playing such notable metal festivals as the Maryland Doom Fest and, most recently, DesertFest UK in London this past May. The crew released its highly anticipated new album Volume on Ripple Music this past July to wide acclaim. For these two shows in Oakland and San Jose, the group will share the stage with noted Canadian power trio La Chinga.

La Chinga - Nothin' That I Can't Do & Mama Boogie - 10/20/2018 Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver by John O on YouTube

Founded in 2012 by bassist/vocalist Carl Spackler, drummer/vocalist Jay Solyom and guitarist/vocalist Ben Yardley, the trio blends a range of '70s hard-rock influences to concoct a unique style of funky, metal-tinged blues boogie that touches on the sounds of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Cactus and the James Gang. After self-releasing their debut album a year after coming together, La Chinga would eventually team with Detroit hard-rock imprint Small Stone Records to put out their sophomore effort Freewheelin' and last year's hard-grooving Beyond the Sky. Philly-based heavy rock quartet the Age of Truth and San Jose shoegazers Drawing Heaven fill out the potent four-band at Oakland's Golden Bull Friday before moving to the Willow Den in San Jose Saturday.

ZED with La Chinga
Friday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m. $12
Golden Bull

Saturday, July 13, 8 p.m. $5
Willow Den

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