After two pandemic-era releases, Zombi have finally reconvened in the same room to make the improvisational and dynamic Direct Inject. Synth player/bassist Steve Moore and drummer Antony Paterra tell Prog how Goblin, Rush and John Carpenter still shape their sound, seven LPs in.

Words: Matt Mills Images: Shawn Brackbill

For a lot of bands, coming up with a name is an unceremonious thing.

Quite often it boils down to questions as simple as “What sounds cool?” or “What rolls off the tongue well?” Such is not the case with Zombi.

The Pennsylvanian synth-prog duo, made up of Steve Moore (bass/synths) and Anthony Paterra (drums), are named after the Italian title for George A Romero’s 1978 horror classic Dawn Of The Dead. And not only does it reflect their music’s similarity to that of the seminal zombie flick’s electroinstrumental Goblin score, there are also personal memories there as well.

“Dawn Of The Dead was filmed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, which is where I grew up,” Moore explains on a video-call with Prog. “I used to work at the Monroeville Mall and, even when I wasn’t working, I’d be hanging out there all the time. I remember, the first time I saw Dawn Of The Dead, it blew me away: our mall is in that movie! It’s documented, in its prime!”