DAMAGED BUG
Zuzax (Deathgod)
A clearing house of sorts for John Dwyer, whose solo venture Damaged Bug is, Zuzax assembles songs recorded between 2018 and 2025. And for someone as prone to genre-hopping as Dwyer, best known as frontman of Osees, a grab-bag approach works well.
On the surface of it you have Dwyerisms in spades: whacked-out skull-heavy artwork, a one-two combination of psych/garage belters to kick things off. But dig a little under the hood and some very strange things are taking place. Junk Food sounds like Sign O’The Times-era Prince over Massive Attack’s Teardrop, whilst strangest of all are the Scott Walker stylings of both Over-Exposed and Man Without A Planet.
Experiments aside, if you’re looking for head-down riffs, grooves and hooks Zuzax has plenty – plus, in closer Tented Lights, a most welcome return of the sweet/fried boy-girl vocal dynamics of earlier releases. Keep doing what you do, John.
words ADAM JONES
