I Am Rock

Many were expecting big things from Zodiac Mindwarp in the wake of their 1988 release, Tattooed Beat Messiah. While the rest of the metal world was either thrashing away or glamming it up, Zodiac Mindwarp made no bones about studying their T. Rex records, nor their fondness for the biker look. But despite accolades from the press and their peers (the most vocal of whom was Alice Cooper), the group seemed to completely fall off the face of the earth. The truth of the matter is that several albums were indeed quietly issued over the years, but none that grabbed your attention like their 1988 release. That is, until I Am Rock came along. Although issued in 2002 (eight years since their prior album), such selections as the title track and "Shake" hark back to the days when Guns N' Roses and Motley Crue posters adorned many a teenagers' bedroom walls, and big rock ruled supreme. Too bad I Am Rock wasn't the follow-up to Tattooed Beat Messiah -- it might very well have helped catapult the band to the cover of Rip magazine. ~ Greg Prato|