Well; what’s this on my doormat? Clawfinger, back with a new album; and I welcome them as I would a friend that I haven’t seen in years. This band released some great albums in the past that kept the industrial/electronic/rap metal sound alive and well in Europe. Together with Rammstein, these guys are the crème de la crème of European industrial metal. But of course any band have their ups and downs and go into experimental moments. With their last album “A Whole Lot Of Nothing” they took a slightly different road, using more electronics and giving their sound a more mainstream feel. For me personally, that album was a big disappointment. Fortunately, Clawfinger is back now with “Zeros And Heros” and make up for every “mistake” they made with the last record. “Zeros…” starts off with the energetic title track that immediately shows Clawfinger have returned to their roots, very much in the style of their self-titled record. Although the album sounds unpolished, you can definitely hear progression in the new songs. Clawfinger have matured in songwriting a lot and they really let you know it.

Not only have they matured, they’re also very angry. “Recipe for Hate”, “Money Power Glory” and “World Domination” once again honor the band’s roots, with angry raps and personal lyrics. “World Domination” shows that band frontman Zak Tell still writes in a somewhat egotistical way. Lines like “I want world domination” speak for themselves... It’s time for a laugh with the hilarious track “Bitch”. You might think that this is about broken relationships and false (girl/boy)friends but instead it’s about a dog that won’t listen to its owner. Accompanied by a funny country intro-riff and not-so-serious lyrics, this song stands out most, just because of the humor. But of course the personal business still has to be dealt with, as is done in the next track “Four Letter Word”. All in all “Zeros And Heros” just proves that Clawfinger are far from done. Heavy guitar riffs, eerie samples and powerful raps make this album a great comeback for this band. If you liked the older Clawfinger material, this album is a must-have.