Zoon [Import]

Nefilim, ????? | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B00000E2C2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely, violently, beautifully unique, August 21, 2004

By 

Bes Pantheos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoon (Audio CD)

I was, and still am, a fan of the Fields (and all of the other requisite late 80's dark/death rock/"goth" bands) for more than a decade and a half before Zoon. I don't care for death metal, outside of the obvious humor factor (sorry guys, but its funny stuff). But this album is something which is both the natural evolution of those predecessors and something almost mind-bendingly unique. There is NOTHING like Zoon in all of popular (and not-so-popular) music. It is frightening in its intensity, to be sure... but the metal overtones are less Cannibal Corpse and more Psalm 69-era Ministry. The lyrics and vocal are incomparable. If you like 'Chord of Souls' by FOTN, you will have a good handle on where McCoy is heading, but lyrically, this record is a savage, yet strangely beautiful journey to the heart of the collective unconscious. Other pundits have, not without reason, found elements of Sumerian mythlogy (re: the Descent of Inana) here, as per 'Elizium,' but the immediate subtext is more obviously Greek, which represents something of a change from earlier McCoy / FOTN lyrics. Gone are the clear references to Sumer and Akkad ('Pazuzu' notwithstanding), as well as the more straightforward tips of the hat to Lovecraft and the Cthuluhu mythos. In their place, we find a terrifying (and sometimes stomach-churning) tale of rage and revenge brought about, apparently, by the displacement of one culture's religion for another- all seemingly in the form of a reborn angel of death, in the Old Testament vein (think Passover mixed with World War III). The blanks are wide enough for the listener to fill in their own details, but the overall experience is stunning and not to be missed in any case. My advice? Buy it now. Its not an easy record to come to grips with, but the journey is more than worth it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once forgotten, now redeemed., October 9, 2005

By 

Frankland S. Strickland (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zoon (Audio CD)

It has been almost 10 years since I first heard this masterpiece and I can certainly reveal, "How my opinion has changed!" When I first bought this I had been waiting for almost five years for something new from Fields of the Nephilim. The previews of the time had prepared me for the fact that this would be more "intense" and that Carl McCoy was operating under a new moniker: a re-spelled "Nefilim." I also remember just how disappointed I was when this thing came thundering through my high-end audio system. "Oh great," I thought, "another freaking sell-out!" Before casting this one into my "CDs to be Traded Bin," I recall just how much I thought this was an ill-fated attempt of Carl MCoy to cash in on the current Death Metal trend.

It's rather amusing to see another reviewer compare this to Napalm Death because, at the time, I shared the same opinion. Let me say now, though, that this is as close to Napalm Death as Megadeth is to Barry Manilow!

First, for those who truly appreciated the "sound" of the original lineup, "Shine" and "Melt" would fit rather nicely. In fact, these two tracks sound almost as though they were lifted straight from a recording session circa 1988. They blend seamlessly, however, into the fiery, bombastic soundscape of the rest of the album. "Zoon," like most other FotN releases, functions essentially like one really long track with various "movements" ---- a symphony if you will.

If you are taken aside at first by the assault of tracks like "Xodus" or "Venus Decomposing," bear in mind that this is only a natural progression of what was being revealed in earlier releases. If older songs like "Preacher Man" made you raise your fist and nod your head, these truly have you pumping your fist and banging your head. Yet, "Zoon" is a much greater accomplishment than anything the competitors can contribute. It cannot even be compared to the likes of Napalm Death or Cannibal Corpse.

Do yourself a favor and buy it today. If you already own it and have forgotten it, put it back in the CD player!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Angels after the fall, March 9, 2003

By 

"silene138" (Tampa-the hottest part of Hell) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoon (Audio CD)

First let me say that no band, no matter how good they are, should make 2 albums that sound the same. That stagnant attitude is death for musicians, as it is for all creative people (do you want the sequel to your favorite book or movie to be exactly like the first, or did you want a progression?)For those of you expecting Elizium II, you will be disappointed. I personally think this is one of the best CDs I've ever heard--it's playing right now and I usually have it in my CD changer. That being said, it is exactly as it should be, fiery, angry, music written by those angels cast out for the sin of lust. The great thing is, the entire CD is awesome, not just 1 or 2 songs like so many CDs today. Carl weaves an intense blend of love and sorrow into his music. He makes music not for some commercial purpose, but for himself and his fans, and the message comes across loud and clear. I personally wish the Nefilim had made a follow-up to Zoon, as I would have loved to see how it would progress from there.