Zombi

Not a whole lot of space rock/prog rock bands of the early 21st century are mostly guitarless — let alone also entirely instrumental. But that is exactly the approach that two gentlemen also known as Zombi have chosen to take. Comprised of members Steve Moore (bass and synthesizers) and Anthony Paterra (drums), the group hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shortly after forming, the duo signed on with Relapse Records, which proved to be an interesting choice — as Zombi have very little in common sonically with the extreme metal acts that make up the majority of the label's roster. And as evidenced by such recordings as their sophomore full-length effort, Surface to Air (2006), and their fourth album, Escape Velocity (2011), Zombi obviously hold early-'80s Rush in very high regard. In fact, you can go as far as saying that such classic Rush releases as Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals (an era when Geddy Lee and company fully embraced Moog synthesizers) serve as the blueprint for the duo's sound. On Zombi's third album, Spirit Animal (2009), the group broadened its sound a bit by featuring electric guitar for the first time (supplied by the multi-tasking Moore). Krautrock and sci-fi film soundtracks were the big influences on 2011's Escape Velocity.