A new piece for the Stranger ... freshly delivered, expect it cast into ink next Thursday.

ZODIAC KILLERS

Serial killer chic never goes out of style, and it doesn't get much more retarded than the Zodiac Killers. Rip-Off Records kingpin Greg Lowery heads up this goon squad of bad taste and familiar riffs. Snotty vocals, monosyllabic guitar solos and songs like “Nazi Interrogation” and "Genetic Mutation” are exactly what punk purists of a certain stripe swallow whole. Killed By Death-style noise is common enough, but the Zodiac Killers push the attitude to cartoonish degrees of aggression. Is it cool to do a record cover photo shoot at an authentic Zodiac slaying location? Or to distribute bullet-pierced posters shot with the same ammo the real killer used? If one says yes, then one will call it rock & roll. Live, the band is a ghoulish, sloppy spectacle, but it's punk as hell and their outfits (complete with Zodiac symbol armbands) are pretty sharp. - Fred Beldin