Introducing: Stoner/grunge/punk rock trio Zeup from Copenhagen, Denmark!
The groovy stoner rock from Zeup has received a lot of attention in the Danish metal underground lately. The members of the band share a passion for heavy “analog sounding” rock tunes, which is reflected in their own music; desert-style rock with a touch of punk, fuzz, and grunge.
Zeup (pronounced “soup”) was formed in 2018 by Jakob Bach (guitar, vocals), Morten Rold (bass, backing vocals) and Morten Barth (drums). The three Copenhageners share a passion for honest “analogue-sounding” rock songs. The musical style of Zeup contains elements of stoner rock, punk rock, and grunge, and it is obvious that the band’s song writing draws on the legacy of rock icons of the 70s such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
Although Zeup is a relatively new band, the members have plenty of experience from other metal bands; Morten Barth was the drummer of Danish heavy metal band Wasted back in the mid-80s, and Morten Rold was the guitarist in Beyond Serenity when they were part of the Danish metal scene in the 90s.
In October 2019, Zeup recorded a 3-song demo EP at the legendary Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen (Metallica recorded »Ride The Lightning« and »Master Of Puppets« there!). The following year, the band returned to the same studio to record the EP »Blind«. The EP is unmistakably Zeup; heavy guitar riffs, lots of groove and energy – all wrapped up in a warm and organic-sounding production.
The band’s first full-length album »Mammals« was released in January 2023 on the Swedish label Ozium Records. The album contains several examples of Zeup’s recognizable straight-to-the-point metal-rock, but it also shows a more experimental side of Zeup’s music, including two instrumental tracks. The band’s lyrics revolve around topics such as existence, social structures, and inner demons.
Just 10 months after the release of »Mammals«, Zeup released the EP »Roads« containing four new songs. On the EP – which was recorded at Media Sound with Peter Brander at the desk – the band experiments with a new sound that is more direct and punchier than on the previous releases. »Roads« was produced by the band and released on their own record label.
Zeup insists on recording their music “live in the studio” involving minimum use of click tracks, samples, auto-tune or other digital magic tricks. Only very few bands use this old school approach nowadays. The result are very authentic and dirty-sounding rock songs.
However, it is not only in the studio that Zeup has been busy. The trio has several successful concerts behind them; with Danish fellow stoners The Sledge and Sonic Moon, as well as support gigs for Unida (US) and Kira Mac (UK).
Discography:
• »A Taste Of Zeup« Demo (2019)
• »Blind« EP (2020)
• »Mammals« LP (Ozium Records, 2023)
• »Roads« EP (2023)
Zeup is:
Jakob Bach – Guitar, Vocals
Mikkel Birck – Bass
Morten Barth – Drums
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well