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MICHAEL ZUCKER

Heavy Prog • United States


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Michael Zucker biography
Michael ZUCKER is a contemporary rock composer best known for his work with the video game themed band THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED. He is primarily a guitarist and singer but has also done a significant amount of work as a producer, keyboardist, bassist and drummer. Michael started his musical carrier by forming the alternative rock group PHYBER GLASS in the mid 90s. That group played together up until 2001 when it disbanded. Michael next joined the international recording act SUTURE SEVEN as lead singer and worked on recordings and performed with that group during the release of their self titled album.

Michael next went on to form the video game rock band THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED with other founding member Epileptic Peat (YOU BRED RAPTORS?). The group still plays select shows most notable MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival) each year in Alexandria VA. Michael formed the progressive rock band THE ART IS FIRE in 2010 alongside Max BERNSTEIN (POLLOCK), B.C. MARSHALL (Adrian BELEW, KING CRIMSON) and Anthony RODGERS-WRIGHT (DISCO BISCUITS). During his work with several groups Michael also managed to produce a wealth of his own recordings and performed with his own material with several different iterations of THE MICHAEL ZUCKER GROUP.

In 2011 he started the record label Differential Productions with long time collaborator and drummer Timothy BIELEC. The label is home to the popular progressive NYC trio YOU BRED RAPTORS? who have been featured in New York Magazine, Grammy nominated producer DJ Headfridge, and Geoff Barone who's debut LP has been featured in Progressive Magazine. Michael ZUCKER's solo work has been featured in Colorado Music Buzz Magazine as well as the Colorado Art Rock Society publications. He currently is an active member in THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED, THE BIG NATURALS and DARK MATTER.

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MICHAEL ZUCKER discography


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MICHAEL ZUCKER top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

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Dualistic Interactionism
2002
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The Light of a Votive
2006
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Michael Zucker (Self-titled)
2008
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What Goes Up Must Never Come Down
2008
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Loss of Blood
2009
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Idle Hands
2009
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Hell on Earth
2010
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Wide Open Spaces (Micheal Zucker and Geoff Barone
2010
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Experiments in Nothingness (The Michael Zucker Quartet
2011
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Cassegrain Kaleidoscope
2011
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Resonant Cavities (The Michael Zucker Group)
2012
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Technocracy
2012
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Orbital Echoes
2013
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Anonymity of Minds
2016
3.00 | 1 ratings
Vacant Reflections
2020

MICHAEL ZUCKER Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MICHAEL ZUCKER Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

MICHAEL ZUCKER Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MICHAEL ZUCKER Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

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A Mighty Fortress is Our God
2004
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A Subtle Blink to Numb Your Battered Eyes
2009
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Traitor
2009
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Machine Learning
2010
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benzodiazepine
2011
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Mind Rot
2011
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Psalms of Gaia
2012
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Inner Demons
2012
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Clean
2012
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Nemesis (Michael Zucker and Headfridge)
2013
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All the King's Horses
2013
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Sparse Voxel Octree
2013
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Neuropathy
2014
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Space is Lonely
2014
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Calypso Unraveling
2014
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Manic
2015
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Anteros
2015
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Amillennialism
2016
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Pixel Perfect
2016
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Aberrations
2016
3.00 | 1 ratings
Abscess Boils
2017
3.00 | 1 ratings
Omen
2017
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Skeleton Key
2018
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Itchy Trigger Finger
2018
3.95 | 2 ratings
Strawberry Melt
2019
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Time Lapse
2020

MICHAEL ZUCKER Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Strawberry Melt by ZUCKER, MICHAEL album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2019
3.95 | 2 ratings

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Strawberry Melt
Michael Zucker Heavy Prog

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars Michael Zucker has worked with several bands over the years, including the video game themed band "This Place is Haunted". As a solo artist, he has released 27 full length albums between 2002 and 2016, and several EPs and singles. This EP, "Strawberry Melt" was released in early 2019. It features 5 tracks with a total run time of 26 minutes. This EP is by the Michael Zucker Ensemble, an avant-garde jazz-rock fusion band. All of the tracks flow into each other over the course of this EP.

Starting with "Selfish Lovers", this avant-jazz track is introduced by a quick bass line, then sets up the quirky rhythm with the drums, sooned joined by a guitar groove, some synths and some spiraling and jazzy sax. As the groove settles in, the quirkiness does too and we go into a good fusion style track. Later, the guitar and bass intensify the music so that it goes into a more rock-heavy sound returning to fusion again later as the sax goes more into a free jam and the guitar gets quite wild.

"Strawberry Melt" takes over by disassembling the groove from the previous track and the sax continues to wail and screech while the percussion moves into a free beat. Finally, the bass and drums get control of the situation and settles into a slow tempo, but the sax plays on like it doesn't like that situation, but goes along with it anyway. In the meantime, some strange guitar sounds keep things a little dissonant and quirky.

"Crushed Velvet" continues the flow of the tracks by picking up the pace, urged on by the guitar this time. As it continues, things get heavy with the guitar in control. When the sax comes in this time, it starts out restrained, but both instruments fight it out with everything else supporting it all. The rhythm soon falls into a more pronounced beat and now the guitar pushes that to an even faster tempo and more intensity until everything becomes more like a psychedelic space jam. Everything falls apart as we move into the next track.

"Feathers" is the longest track at almost 7 minutes. Starting off on a meandering and softer feel, this track quiets everything down for what seems like will be a more mid-tempo feel, but things still remain on the edge, like anything can set the chaos into motion again. The sax takes the center stage again improvising over the walking tempo of the foundation. Towards the end the guitar starts to take over, then the sax wails out it's frustration of being pushed out of the spotlight and growls and grumbles about it all.

This pace continues into "Crippled Anthem", but things start to sound ominous as the guitar continues to try to take over. A more positive and standard sound seems to be on the horizon, but now the guitar wants none of it. Things want to get out of hand again, but somehow it all stays together and ends suddenly, but without anything being resolved.

This is a decent instrumental EP and remains a bit dark, dense and quirky all the way through, with sections that try to get everything under control, but never really succeeding. The overall feel is that of a heavy avant-garde jazz fusion, in the vein of Tortoise, Don Caballero or Henry Cow. I found it quite enjoyable, and at 26 minutes as an EP, it is the right size to bite off if you are thinking about exploring this genre. Easily a 4 star effort, well produced and tastefully executed.

 Abscess Boils by ZUCKER, MICHAEL album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2017
3.00 | 1 ratings

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Abscess Boils
Michael Zucker Heavy Prog

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

— First review of this album —
3 stars Michael Zucker produces a lot of music stuff, put together on multiple albums. If you're up for this, really time consuming to explore, when jumping around on his bandcamp site. I started with some recent tunes and immediately got caught by this EP. Sometimes he produces at his own risk, sometimes collaborating with other musicians. On this occasion it's more a Michael Zucker Band, a trio including Pavlo Krokidis on bass and then drummer David Solis. A weird album title, isn't it? But, as quite obvious, the songs are about various diseases, so let it be. Thematical themes or concepts are mostly accessory, the music may tell the real story however.

I would specify this one avantgarde tinged heavy psych somehow, presented in a partially agressive outfit, just take the vocals for example. Guitars are multi-tracked, soaring, the other instruments more than needful attachments in fact. Speaking of lively drums and a punchy bass. The brilliant Broken Hourglass came to my attention especially, finally challenged me to write this short review. This one differs a little, not only concerning the title, but also when it comes to the flow in general. More melancholic and empathic, makes my day. The Michael Zucker music collection is definitely worth a check - 3.5 stars finally.

Thanks to aapatsos for the artist addition.

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