A daisycutter is the nickname given to the BLU-82 bomb which was first utilised in Vietnam and subsequently deployed in the Gulf War and Afghanistan. In fact, the daisycutter is the largest and deadliest conventional bomb in existence, but, due to its size, it is also extremely cumbersome. Cumbersome is, alas, also the word I would also use to describe the Zero EP from Taunton's four-piece rock band Daisy Cutter. Listenable and enjoyable One of my favourite rock bands is Alice in Chains, and the Daisy Cutter sound indicates, too, a great fondness for this group. Vocalist Zane bears an uncanny resemblance to AIC's Layne Staley throughout the whole CD. The final song, Bleacher, sounds like it has been borrowed, begged or stolen from the Alice in Chains editing suite during the Dirt recording session - even the guitar riff used is pretty much that of Them Bones, but at around half the pace. Now, don't get me wrong, this is an extremely listenable and enjoyable bunch of songs, but the music does tend to lumber along like a geriatric elephant, and rarely changes tempo. Samba promises to deliver a somewhat more up-beat attack than the rest of the record, but after precisely 27 seconds, it is content to just settle into some mid-paced James Hetfield-style riffage. Like everything else, it merely plods, as though the band can't get out of third gear, or are simply looking for their pipes and slippers. There are some decent guitar solos, though, but there is a tendency to throw one into each song, which, along with an ululating Kula-Shaker/Krishna-style warble, becomes irritating after a while. Recorded v live performance Now, I don't know who produced this EP but they really ought to consider a change of career. The vocals totally overpower the music, and although I really like Zane's vocal style, this is to the detriment of the rest of the band - it's like he is singing over the top of a backing tape. Unfortunately, I couldn't even hear the bassist. Was he given the day off when this was recorded? Heidi is the female drummer, and, without wishing to be sexist, I think there are very few excellent female rock drummers. Exceptions are Becky Wreck (the original Lunachicks drummer), and Wage of Sin's Vanessa Newsted. Heidi is, alas, not an exception; nevertheless she does an adequate performance, but seems content with just that. In a live environment, I'd imagine the band would fare somewhat better, but you can't really dance to them, and would be restricted to head banging along in much the same way as you would a ticking clock. I think if the band could refine its own style, and adopt a more muscular and confident approach alongside some better production values, what is a pretty average offering from a bunch of obviously talented musicians, could level the field in a similar way to their namesake. | 
