EROS

I was not disappointed. I thought it might be good, but I didn't know it would become one of my alltime favourite prog albums. In fact I was astounded at the ferocious unassailable approach of no holds barred prog these guys adopt. They are unbelievable virtuosos of the craft and it takes some getting used to the way the music shifts into different directions. The time sigs keep metronomes busy and I am in awe of how complex the metrical patterns are.

L'epice begins with a drum roll and then a strange melody heralds the arrival of this incredible band. Portentous music ensues with guitar vibrations and blasts of keyboards that provide a very watertight ominous sound; it stops and starts and shudders and the flute is outrageous played with finesse.

The guitar solo consists of crazy, fret melting riffs and dynamic shifts in time sigs. It settles into a peaceful acoustic section; the chord changes are off kilter and way out of bounds. Elaborate glockenspiel and flute trade off in a weird timeless passage where there does not seem to be any structure, yet it hold together by peculiar bass lines and cymbal crashes. It moves into a serious of different directions that are outside the realm of description. It is chaotic music that grabs hold and refuses to let go. Simply brilliant prog.

Arrakis starts with pounding piano bass and a soft melodic flute motif that sounds almost medieval. Keyboard pads follow and the two sections are a constant on this track, but it threatens to spiral out of control yet the next section is a lead guitar solo of very accomplished musicianship. Then it explodes in to a fast paced pattern with heavy drums and bass and an awesome flute solo. The track has completely changed into an unrecognizable section. It builds faster and faster and makes the heart beat quicker as we are treated to a dynamic guitar, drum, flute and keyboard juxtaposition of sound. It is inspiring and progressive to the core. A wood block, glockenspiel section finishes the piece and a powerful commanding drum solo adds icing to the cake. Fantastic beyond belief.

Bitonio is a delicious slice of prog with interchanging time sigs that go all over the place and there is a tinkling percussive beat and huge blasts of keyboards and flute. And that is just the beginning of it. A kind of melody follows though it is impossible to grasp it completely as the melodies twist and turn in a myriad of directions. It settles into a lulling piano solo that is quite beautiful. This is shattered by a bizarre droning bass synth riff. Everything goes quiet for a moment and there is a jazz fusion improvised section. A fuzzed guitar kicks in with flute and no time signature at all at one point. The flute is ever present keeping it all together. But then it breaks out into a fast choppy jazz fest. How they played this live I have no idea, but this is as intricate as it gets. The hyper complex music becomes sporadic to the Nth degree and even has a strange Magma-like vocal, 'uh uh uh uh', at one stage. A wonderful track in every respect.

The title track is a Tangerine Dream soundalike of glacial landscapes of sound with mellotrons and tribal drums. The flute and percussive xylophone breaks the ambience. The tones of light and dark are a feature of this album and this track is no exception. This is the epic of the album and as brilliant as the previous tracks if not the best on the album. At 7:50 it takes a new approach with spacey synth and choral chants. The guitars try their best to keep up with the crashing drums and piano. The flute becomes wild and out of control at times. There is a massive passage of staccato stabs of every instrument that just pound like there is no tomorrow launching into the stratosphere. I am running out of superlatives so let's rap this up.

Dun's Eros is a world class masterpiece. I would rate this album as high as deserving a place in the top 10 prog albums of all time. You have to admire the inventiveness and sheer originality of this Zeuhl album. Based on Frank Herbert's Dune and better than the novel, it is a showcase of musical virtuosity. I love the way it does not hold back and treats your ears to a new music that you may never experience again at the level of this genius. The ears take a while to get adjusted to this complex prog, but it is a delightful excursion into tension and release, shades of beauty and dark fractured pandemonium.

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