Eagles of Death Metal Get Undressed on ‘Zipper Down’

Stephanie Hernandez

Eagles of Death Metal gave the world their first taste of their no questions asked boisterous rock and roll with the release of their debut “Peace, Love, Death Metal” in 2004. Originally, a jam band formed between Palm Desert friends, Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, the latter of Queens of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures fame, the two jumped in with no agenda other than to bring beer-drenched riffs over cigarette burn lyrics to the forefront of rock. It did not take long for audiences to catch onto and fall in love with the wit and devil-may-care attitude exemplified by every EODM track, their nonchalant cool kid attitude having the amazing ability to act as a sonic shot of vodka to ensure you have a good time. The cult favorite group had released three records up to this point with their debut only taking three days to record and their subsequent two “Death by Sexy” in 2006 and “Heart On” in 2008. Given their productivity, it seemed odd this two-member spitfire of a band would take seven years to release a fourth album. They are known for doing whatever they want and “Zipper Down” definitely does not disappoint.

EODM have become a fixture in the modern rock world, bringing back to basics Chuck Berry and Rolling Stones style rock with a dash of satire for good measure to the forefront of their sound. “Zipper Down” is no different, it captures that sweaty, fast-paced kinetic energy one only feels during an insanely good rock show, which is essentially what “Zipper Down” has managed to capture. The record is full of party starting beats, playful lyricism and catchy well-crafted pop choruses, making it the perfect anecdote to any worn out playlist. The record opens with “Complexity,” the same song Jesse Hughes began his solo career with back in 2011. However, this version is much grittier; with the kind of sexy one would expect from a drunken one-night stand, it is the perfect start to this raucous ride. From here on out, the semi-serious and downright hysterical content of the tracks get better and better. Relaxed and playful, songs like “Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M.)” is an ode to the Los Angeles hipster, the lyric ““Don’t you know who I am?” is met with “I don’t know who I am!” the addition of a self-doubting response makes the track all the more charming. The unstoppable hand clapping that “Got a Woman” will induce is enough to make it one of the record’s standout tracks as is the reprise “Got a Woman (Slight Return)” later down the line. EODM get their country on with the tart “I Love You All the Time,” Homme adding in some lines in French to sweeten the deal. Finally, one of the best moments comes in the form of a cover of Duran Duran’s “Save A Prayer,” originally a synth heavy ballad, Homme decidedly took a torch to it to create a fuzzed out, distortion filled one night stand anthem.

“Zipper Down” is the group’s first release on a major label and it is finally nice to see that Universal has managed to not swallow up their signature lyrical sleaze and unpolished riffs. Instead the album sounds bigger and badder than their previous three. While “Zipper Down” holds true to the brazen rock and roll formula we have come to expect from these two, the album is still a step forward for EODM by providing the listener with more powerful guitars and effective lyricism that does more than just smack you in the face. They have proven themselves capable of crafting memorable pop hooks while still keeping in line with the fun produced by their rock and roll shenanigans. Familiar without feeling tired, “Zipper Down” is like a cold beer after a bout in sobriety where you recognize the taste and can feel the good times coming back on.

Eagles of Death Metal‘s new album “Zipper Down” is available on Apple Music on Oct 2.