Enzo Milia, drummer for local band Zombies Locker, admits he's a bit more than just a mere fan of iconic rock group Led Zeppelin.
"I know all the songs and riffs so well, I could probably sit in with the remaining members and pretty much nail every song," he said.
Although Milia is proud of being able to replicate the late and legendary John Bonham's drumming style, he still much prefers creating original sounds and rhythm for Zombies Locker.
"As an artist, obviously you don't want to copy anyone," he said. "But if you listen you can certainly tell where someone gets their influence from."
You'll certainly be able to hear that '70s and '80s hard rock influence on Zombies Locker's latest CD called Zombies in the House of Madness, but Milia said it's still got a fresh and unique sound.
"You can certainly draw parallels," he said, "especially because of the Hammond organ (played by newest Zombie member John Bright), which will remind people of bands like Deep Purple, but aside from the '70s-influenced instrumentation we bring something different and new to the music."
Indeed, the band's first album (simply titled 3), earned the "Garage CD of the Week" from The Province's Tom Harrison, who noted the band didn't so much copy Zeppelin-era sounds, but rather played in the same hard rocking and talented spirit.
For Milia, it's about making music the way it should be made, and sharing it live with an audience.
"When we did this new album, we rented out Eagle Eye Theatre and recorded my drum parts live there to give it that big, ambient sound," he said. "We recorded the rest at (local producer) Brian Marchand's studio in Squamish, so I got all the early fun and then had to wait while the other parts were recorded and mastered. But we chose to do it that way because we wanted to do it properly, especially in this digital age where with a few keystrokes on a computer you could lay down a drum track or steal someone else's drum track. As a band we want to celebrate live, original music and connect with audiences."
Milia, along with band mates Ben Lens, Todd Mader and the aforementioned John Bright, hope to make that connection on Saturday (Nov. 23) at the Brackendale Art Gallery when they perform an unplugged gig of the new material.
"I'm excited to play this stripped-down show," he said. "It will be fun to hear the songs done more acoustically."
The following Saturday (Nov. 30), fans can hear the full electric version of the new album's tunes as Zombies Locker hosts a launch party for the disc at the Cliffside Pub.
For those wanting to hear the songs before either show, the CD is available on iTunes and cdbaby.com.
