User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 84
  2. Negative: 24 out of 84

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  1. Jun 1, 2021
    3
    On which planet were we in 2008 in order to make a bunch of journalists erect this project as the best of the year? I'll quote the track 'Insane': 'what's wrong with the world? This is looking insane'. That should be the one and only relevant line on this whole mess.

    Vocals are bad, overly gritty and annoying, lyrics are trash and are not used to deliver any decent message, not a single
    On which planet were we in 2008 in order to make a bunch of journalists erect this project as the best of the year? I'll quote the track 'Insane': 'what's wrong with the world? This is looking insane'. That should be the one and only relevant line on this whole mess.

    Vocals are bad, overly gritty and annoying, lyrics are trash and are not used to deliver any decent message, not a single interesting content. Production varies between total garbage like on 'Jah War' and almost cool as on 'Poison Dart', but always remains in an unattractive side. Many songs sound like reggaeton. I would easily say the best part was these four minutes of silence during the last track 'The Judgement'. In conclusion, 'London Zoo' surely is energic and may sound like a strong and convincing invitation to dance to some people but according to me it is all about an englishman called Kevin Martin trying to craft Central American music with a bunch of self-centered and noisy MC's. Stay away if you don't want to lose brain cells, and shame on you, 'music journalists'.
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  2. BC
    May 19, 2009
    2
    I cannot believe this is rated 90...I saw them live with Nine Inch Nails and all the singer could do was touch herself and scream HARDCORE. Live: the singing sucked, but the dj was awesome so it gets a bit better then 1 for me.
  3. KirkVN
    Apr 19, 2009
    0
    How this one is called good music is beyond my comprehension. Strange ideas + electronic = utter bullsh*t.
  4. RaeR
    Apr 12, 2009
    1
    There was a time when I believed Lou Reed's 'Metal Machine Music' was the worst album ever recorded. I've revisited my opinion and have come to the conclusion that it is the second worst album ever recorded. Poo-poo to all those arty poseurs who actually see artisitic merit in this shite DVD.
  5. JodieL
    Dec 10, 2008
    2
    I couldn't even give this album away for free, BEWARE. I actually might listen to it again if it had a companion disc of just the music, minus the vocals, the vocals are just terrible, one of the worst albums I've ever listened to. It's not entirely surprising to see that the highest rating albums each year are only reviewed by a select few places (this one only ten, I couldn't even give this album away for free, BEWARE. I actually might listen to it again if it had a companion disc of just the music, minus the vocals, the vocals are just terrible, one of the worst albums I've ever listened to. It's not entirely surprising to see that the highest rating albums each year are only reviewed by a select few places (this one only ten, whereas Radiohead was reviewed by 42 different places, last year). Collapse
  6. AdamP
    Nov 18, 2008
    2
    Overall, good beats/instrumentation do not a great album make. Take a listen to "Dear Science" by TVotR if you want a similar album with original music but the worst lyrics you've ever heard. Things that make me angry: -Musicians who think they know what they're talking about but really get their lyrics from Cynthia McKinney quotes on CNN -When people complain about tragedies, Overall, good beats/instrumentation do not a great album make. Take a listen to "Dear Science" by TVotR if you want a similar album with original music but the worst lyrics you've ever heard. Things that make me angry: -Musicians who think they know what they're talking about but really get their lyrics from Cynthia McKinney quotes on CNN -When people complain about tragedies, place the blame on those who aren't at fault, and then *do nothing about it! Expand
  7. Tyler
    Nov 16, 2008
    3
    It's incredibly annoying.
  8. PitchforkmediaR
    Oct 30, 2008
    0
    "Angry" is the worst song of all time, truly horrendous music. Sounds like reggaeton, avoid at all cost.
  9. JamesM.
    Sep 20, 2008
    0
    This album is awful. I could no listen to it more then once.
  10. [Anonymous]
    Sep 14, 2008
    2
    Overrated, of course.
  11. KeiJ.
    Sep 3, 2008
    2
    I hate this, sounds like a bunch of angsty nigerian scam artists trying to make music to scam dumb white kids out of their money. Some of the production is decent. I give it a 2. AVOID.
  12. PaulC.
    Sep 1, 2008
    3
    One of the examples of how metacritic's overall ranking system needs to be re-tooled. Perhaps this album is the greatest dubstep album ever, but the second or first best album of 2008? Not ever.
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. The cumulative effect--somewhere around being lifted into the heavens by sunrays--is at odds with the continuous black clouds that come before. Yet it’s a necessary chink of light to conclude a journey so oppressive you may just forget to breathe through its duration.
  2. Considering the host of absolutely killer tracks, London Zoo might just be Kevin Martin's finest album, which is astounding considering the man has been making music for two decades.
  3. London Zoo provides the perfect showcase for its colourful menagerie of MCs and singers. And the Bug's no-nonsense clank and grind production fosters a rare intensity of focus on this album's higher purpose, which is to take the eloquence of Linton Kwesi Johnson and Michael Smith's Eighties dub-poetry, and blast it into digital hyperspace.