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Unearthing The Metal Underground: experimental black/death metal band ZeTA

Band Photo: ZeTA (?)

Science fiction themes aren’t by any means new to metal. Just consider bands as varied as Nocturnus, Voivod, Timeghoul and The Faceless. But the American band ZeTA, featuring members residing in Ohio, Illinois and Arizona, is an underground band who is doing it well in its delivery of melodic black/death metal that strays, relatively speaking, from the excessively beaten path. The lineup’s resume includes notable acts like Limbsplitter and Drogheda, and considering that the band only has a couple of 2017 EPs to its name in spite of forming in 2008, it’s safe to assume that ZeTA has very much been regarded as a side project.

But with that said, the act self-released its debut full-length, “Binary Enigma,” on September 2. The nine-song release is driven by nineties Swedish melodic death and black metal as well as American death metal. On the lyrical front, the band threads together a thematic quilt entailing the Metroid video game series, documented UFO encounters and aliens. What’s most important of all is that songs like “Organic Corridor” and “Weight of Disclosure” are interesting and well worth your time.

Jay H. Gorania is a long time metal journalist and sings for Trench Warfare. He also writes for Blabbermouth and Hellbound.ca and has in the past edited for Pit and written for Metal Maniacs, Unrestrained!, Hails and Horns, AMP and Outburn as well as other media outlets.