EOSTRE

Did you know that Easter was originally a pagan festival dedicated to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring? The name is connected with words for "east" and "shining" and in Germany the name translates as 'Ostara'.

There's some serious 'Wicker Man' and 'Kill List' feelings going down here with the opener 'Shout the Storm'. The ritualistic percussion is deeply unsettling. You can literally feel the heat from the bonfires where it sounds as though the band recorded this whilst leaping around it hitting objects using human bones. There's some intensely creepy vocal chants and almost organic sounding pipes made of flesh. Strange stringed instruments are strummed which only makes this all the more bizarre.

What follows is probably my favourite Zoviet France tune of all time with 'Cirice'. It quickly evolves from mystical chants and hand clapping before submerging into a drunken 1920's style Weimar Republic cabaret with slow, deep and echoed piano. A beautiful track where every note is subtle and deliberate. This slowed down, reversed piano is what sets this tune apart. A truly excellent track that will stand the test of time for decades to come. Zoviet France between 1982 to 1991 has not dated at all. This is due to the fact that there's no recognisable instruments played. In future years their more recent recordings will sound more dated because of their almost entirely electronic nature.

'Hymen' has a horrendously warped circular loop that is enough to leave any listener feeling sick. The twisted vocals only add to the discomfort as a queasy bass-like one chord note pulsates.

'Gustr' blatantly displays a curious reversed track in entirety. The fact that there are no vocals and only swirling wind sounds make it sound like you're falling from the top floor of a skyscraper with the knowledge of what your'e about to hit.

'Kirke' continues in this form with a sickening throbbing bass tone as swishes of scratched objects bounce from ear to ear.

'Pearroc' continues where 'Cirice' finished. That 1920's piano is back only this time it's layered with bird calls and strange rumblings.

'Regn' continues the bird chirping but adds wood and sheet metal sounding percussion as some perplexing sort of harmonica pathetically tries to play in the background. It's drowned out by stabs of bass burps and treated plucked strings.

'Bell' with its backward muted reversed vocals and flutey swirls sets the scene for the mighty, brutal and somewhat out of place 'Cad Goddeu'. A Stomping, tuneless march for hammers that bludgeons everything within spitting distance. A battery of noise accompanied by what sounds like amplified World War 2 jack boots.

'Wajis' has a multitude of tiny percussive sounds going on as horns and male vocals leave you thinking you're next in line for an execution. This is almost a complete makeover of the opening track 'Shout the Storm'

'Angelus' has prevalent little chiming and clinking bells amidst a sea of whines in the background before an aggressive bongo drum intrudes beating out time in an irregular and disjointed way.

'Neptune' rounds off this marvelously creepy and sometimes deliberately tuneless album. Distorted radio interference blurt out from all directions as single bass notes destroy everything in their path. All the while swishing wind sounds and unusual musical chords from God knows what, pulverise this album to dust and its logical conclusion.

'Eostre' was originally released as a double album and clocks in at a hefty 69 minutes. Many may find this duration to be excessive due to the nature of the recording, but personally the more I listen to it - the more beautiful it becomes. I bought this in 1991 on cd and it remains one of my favourite albums of all time.