QUODLIBET

ZELLO released their debut CD in 1996 on the Swedish APM label who has released a lot of great albums through the years. For example re-releases of AKASHA, ATLAS, BLAKULLA, ESKATON, IN THE LABYRINTH, MYRBEIN, TÖMERCLAUS and ZARAGON and new releases with bands such as CATWEAZLE, DEATH ORGAN, EVIDENCE, HÖYRY KONE, SIMON STEENSLAND and ZELLO. I think that this second album was planned for a release through the APM label too. It was recorded in November -97 but hasn't been released until now through the French label Musea. I don't know what has happened with the APM label or what will happen. APM was one of my two favourite labels together with Mellotronen and they had planned a lot of exciting forthcoming releases (ESKATON, MYRBEIN live etc.), but now they haven't released anything in years. I hope they will be back sometime in the future. Well, now ZELLO's follow up to their great debut has finally been released on Musea, and IN THE LABYRINTH that once was on the APM label has released a new album on the Record Heaven label. ZELLO's debut CD simply called "Zello" gave them the reputation of being Sweden's answer to KANSAS. It was very well received and this second album follows the same musical direction as their first. The fabulous Svetlan Råket has replaced the drummer on the debut CD, Jamil Batal. The comparisons to KANSAS are very much because of the violin. Lennart Glenberg-Eriksson's violin playing is very similar to David Ragsdale of KANSAS. The different between KANSAS and ZELLO are the Nordic influences. ZELLO have in their music. The three short tracks "Spaken", "Prästpolskan" and "Ekelundapolskan" that are in-between the longer tracks are Swedish traditional songs played on Violin. ZELLO's inspirations besides KANSAS are JETHRO TULL, KAIPA, UK and YES. I think that this is a great follow-up and if you liked their first album you won't be disappointed. It's also highly recommended to all fans of KANSAS.