By Allyson Kingsley
Mark Zavon appeared in Guitar Player Magazine’s “Spotlight” column and has been recognized nationwide for his incredible style and approach. He has performed with the band Scream Parade as well as forming JRZ System described as a funk meets hard rock instrumental band. He has toured and performed with vocalist Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, including performing as a guitarist for Ratt. Mark was also the guitarist and principal songwriter for LA-based hard rock 40 Cycle Hum. He later performed with WWIII featuring Mandy Lion, Vinny Appice, and Jimmy Bain. He’s also been busy with Kill Devil Hill, featuring former Pantera and Down bassist Rex Brown, ex-Pissing Razors frontman Dewey Bragg and Type O Negative and Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly. On November 23, 2018, Mark released his self-titled debut solo album via EMP Label Group, founded by Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. Within this album, Mark is the magician behind the keyboards, bass, guitar, and vocals. Major respect to multi-instrumentalists.
In my few years of reviews of rock and metal, I’ve always preferred the more extreme stuff. The shit that makes the churchgoers down the road cringe. Sometimes it is good to take a break and jam out to some hard rock and traditional metal. The stuff that reminds you of the debauchery of your younger years. Mark Zavon has illustriously captured that feeling with his self-titled album.
Check out his brash and gritty cover of a Billy Joel classic, “Big Shot,” as he gives it some modern kicked up fuel. We also have good time music to wreck the house to such as “South of the Border” and “Whiskey Tango”. The album is heavy on riffs but certainly not in the sense of a guitarist noodling around in his bedroom. The compositions are fun yet well- thought out. This is definitely something to start a bonfire and kick it with a few friends and a couple of cold ones.
