VISIONS FROM THE PAST

Returning after an 18 year recording absence, and sporting a half revamped lineup, "Osiris" produced their most Arabic sounding work in "Visions from the Past", thanks to guitars played like traditional instruments, indigenous beats, and occasional flutes.

In structure it is somewhat similar to ANYONE'S DAUGHTER's acclaimed "Piktors Verwandlugen", in that it alternates between spoken passages in the native tongue, and mostly instrumentals around them. The foreign tongue makes it harder to digest since significant meaning is intended to be conveyed, but it can be pieced together via sleeve notes. The narrator is an old man who is seeing the cultural traditions of his youth evaporate.

"A New Day", "Is it Time" (with new vocalist Martin Hughes, who also plays flute), and the very Arabic and sublime "We will stop for no one" are all major highlights. M. Alsadeql's electric guitars remain as vital as ever for the most part. In contrast, some passages seem a bit dispirited, like "The Memory will still remain", not bad but not really a keeper. The recording ends with the two longest songs, with the 12 minute closer "Finally" being by far the better. It's in a very old style being reminiscent of DEEP PURPLE and YES among others such as RAMSES, thanks to some martial drumming. Ultimately it's reach is better than its grasp. For the first time OSIRIS actually seems to want to make serious music with important lyrics, and their earlier simple beauty was left behind.

This is a fine comeback album and I heard that another studio recording was in the works, so it looks like we won't have to content ourselves with the past as far as Osiris is concerned.