OK I admit it...<br><br>
I admit it, I was one of the guys who said "oh they were the copacetic guys?". I was saying that when I was following Injected's early progress, before Injected's album came out and they were opening for Local H. I finally purchased this album and it rocks. I feel ashamed to have once called them "oh they were the copacetic guys?", because Bound for the Floor is not the only song this band has. 
This album is amazing. It holds together. I wish I had knew of them earlier in more detail. It's so good when rock like this comes out, because it gives you faith that the world isn't braindead & completely brainwashed after all. Brian St. Clair is a very awesome drummer, very energetic. I think, from hearing their older stuff, that there was no better replacement for Joe. "Hands on the Bible", "(Baby Wants To) Tame Me", and of course "What Would You Have Me Do", really rock and show the band is doing what they want and not what people want them to do. I respect that, and I think the tunes are totally rocking. <br><br>
 Branching Out and Growing Roots<br><br>
I waited forever for the new Local H, and after countless delays I must say it was worth every second I had to wait. Here Comes the Zoo harkens back to the times of old time rock and roll, yet at the same time Scott Lucas adds his own flavor to it. Throughout the album you can hear rock influences from the past thirty years, but infused in these songs are Lucas' own personality: bitter, self-loathing, and a sense of ironic intelligence. While Local H is for the most part paying homage to his roots, (the name of the album is from a Iggy Pop song and Bryn-Mawr Stomp is a sly Led Zeppelin allusion)they are also branching out into new territory. Two of the songs (My Baby Wants to Tame Me and What Would You Have Me Do) are of epic length. It's refreshing that Local H can offer up something new with each and every album while being consistent(I love every album they've released).<br><br>
There's one thing that every Local H fan would like to know about Here Comes the Zoo: does Brian St. Clair match up with Joe Daniels? Well, no. He certainly has the skill, after listening to this album there's no doubt about that, but he doesn't have the presence that Joe did. This makes the band more of a vehicle for Scott, but I'm not complaining. This is one of the most refreshing albums that has come out to date. It's intelligent and emotional while delivering everything you'd expect from Local H plus a few new surprises. <br><br>
 An awesome (and little known) album<br><br>
Scott has crafted an all time rock masterpiece with this album. After the release of pack up the cats, I laughed at the thought of Local H putting out good music ever again(hey, that album was pretty bad....somehow I think Joe's departure was related closely). When I heard this album, I was shocked. Every track is solid. There isn't a bad song on it. This album may actually be better than As Good As Dead(although that remains as my favorite....it was the soundtrack to my teenage years). I feel bad about the loss of popularity of Local H. They once had videos on MTV that I saw during daylight hours even! Now, they hardly draw a crowd at their concerts. I almost feel bad for Scott, being that talented and getting no recognition. But on the other hand, his brash display of bitter, angry drunkeness when I saw them in concert took away my sympathy. Regardless, buy this cd....and As Good As dead, if you don't already have it. <br><br>
 True musical geniusness<br><br>
It's sad that big corporation has brainwashed people so much these days that people can't even make their own decisions anymore. Everyone is going head over heals to fit into the norm and big corporation seems to be controlling what the norm is. With all the big record labels dominating the music scene and drilling into our heads what kind of music will make us "cool" it's almost impossible to find any good music out there today. With a band as good as Local H in existence I guess there's still a glimmer of hope as of what's to come. I've been listening to "Here Comes the Zoo" for almost a year now and it's still just as fresh as the first time I played it. Each song has a different personality to it. It's not one of those type of deals where all the songs are good but they're all made of the same formula so you don't know which songs to choose as your favorites. This is the only album next to Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" where I truly can say that I like every song on the album. "Hands on the Bible" is what's the album starts on. It's gotten a lot of criticism for being radio friendly but it's still a great song. "Tame Me" and its twin "What Would You Have Me Do" are also excellent masterpieces. Both are rather long and take a ridiculously long time to finally end but are still excellent and thought provoking songs. If you don't already have this album, GET IT! It will be one of the best albums you'll ever own. I always know is a good song when I instantly start singing along with it and there's scenes playing in my head and this album is full of those. 
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