For longtime sleaze and glam metal fans, this is the kind of comeback that instantly gets attention. Original SHOTGUN MESSIAH vocalist Zinny Zan and guitarist Harry Cody are officially back together under the ZAN/CODY banner, and they’re bringing their signature style back with a new album called Beautiful ‘N Damned, arriving July 24 through Frontiers Music Srl.
Need something loud while you revisit the Sunset Strip glory days? Mötley Crüe - CRUCIAL CRUE: THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1981-1989 on Vinyl - https://amzn.to/4oj3f4Q
The reunion matters because SHOTGUN MESSIAH has quietly remained one of the most respected cult names to come out of the late-'80s Swedish hard rock scene. While the band never reached the commercial heights of some of their peers, records like Shotgun Messiah and Second Coming built a loyal fanbase that still talks about Harry Cody’s guitar work and the band’s gritty Hollywood-meets-Stockholm attitude decades later.
The first single, “Damn,” already gives fans a clear picture of what ZAN/CODY is aiming for: aggressive hooks, street-level sleaze energy, and a modern production approach without abandoning the band’s roots. According to Zinny Zan, the track represents the core identity of the project and taps into themes surrounding truth, illusion, and questioning what people are told.
Here’s the reality: a lot of legacy hard rock reunions feel forced or purely nostalgic. This one feels different because the chemistry between Zinny and Cody was always central to what made early SHOTGUN MESSIAH stand out in the first place. Fans have wanted some version of this collaboration back for years, especially after failed reunion discussions surfaced previously.
Harry Cody’s return alone is going to pull serious interest from guitar fans. His playing on the original SHOTGUN MESSIAH material earned major attention back in the late '80s and early '90s, and many longtime listeners still consider him one of the more underrated guitarists from that era.
The new album was mixed by Chris Laney and reportedly balances classic sleaze-metal attitude with updated production power. That’s probably the smartest move possible. Fans don’t want a polished pop-rock rewrite of the past — they want swagger, riffs, hooks, and danger.
“Beautiful ‘N Damned” Track Listing
- Sever
- I Am The Shit
- Ride Or Die
- Suffer City
- She Walks With Violence
- Damn
- Let's Be Heroes
- Beautiful 'N Damned
- Bad Bad Man
- Tear It All Down
The timing also feels right. There’s been renewed interest in sleaze-era hard rock over the last few years, and younger fans have started rediscovering bands that never fully got their due during the MTV era. ZAN/CODY could easily tap into both audiences: the longtime diehards and newer listeners hunting for authentic, riff-driven hard rock.
And honestly, the title Beautiful ‘N Damned sounds exactly like the kind of record SHOTGUN MESSIAH fans hoped these guys would make.
What happens next is the real question. Is this a one-off nostalgia project? Or the beginning of something much bigger tied to the SHOTGUN MESSIAH legacy?
Either way, people are definitely paying attention now.
Get more uncensored hard rock and metal coverage at Classic Metal Show Locals — including bonus episodes of THE CLASSIC METAL SHOW, early releases of CHRIS AKIN PRESENTS, giveaways, exclusives, and the CMS community.
Poll
Does the Zinny Zan/Harry Cody reunion deserve a full SHOTGUN MESSIAH comeback?
- Absolutely — the classic lineup deserves one more real run
- No — leave the legacy untouched and keep it as ZAN/CODY
- Only if the music is stronger than nostalgia
