H.P. Zinker

The New York City rock trio H.P. Zinker specialized in muscular, guitar-driven neo-psychedelia that frequently edged into prog rock territory and occasionally drew parallels to Dinosaur Jr. Raised in Innsbruck, Austria, singer/guitarist Hans Platzgumer and bassist/singer Frank Puempel had already toured Europe in various groups before settling in New York City in 1989 and establishing H.P. Zinker. Their debut release, ...And There Was Light, employed a drum machine during recording and included a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days"; it also marked Matador Records' inaugural release. That album signaled the band's broad eclecticism through infusions of metal, jazz, folk, and noise. A major artistic advance arrived with 1990's Beyond It All, which adopted a power-trio configuration after American Dave Wasik joined on drums. The LP emphasized colossal riffs reminiscent of '70s hard rock while frequently venturing into extended instrumental passages. The 1991 Sunshine EP revisited the earlier track "Sunshine," incorporated a reading of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," and featured Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando on vocals for "To One in Paradise," alongside additional material. Co-founder Puempel departed before Perseverance in 1992, leaving Platzgumer and Wasik to continue; ex-Skunk guitarist Stephan Apicella, also known as Stevie Apathetic, later filled the remaining position. Bassist Uvey Batruel came aboard for 1995's Mountains of Madness, whose title track draws lyrics from early-20th-century horror author H.P. Lovecraft, and that album closed the band's active period before they disbanded later the same year. Staying Loose (A Compilation) gathers selections from the first three albums plus various EPs and serves as an ideal entry point for new listeners.