MEKANÏK DESTRUKTÏW KOMMANDÖH

I don't speak Kobaian, but basing of what I know of this fantastic planet, I see a lot of parallels with Wagner and Nietszche. Vander has been accused to have sympaties for the Nazi ideology, and the mixture of French and German that composes the Kobaian may make us think so, but I think that even if the Nazis have borrowed some concepts from the musician and from the philosopher, this doesn't mean that Vander is a nazi.

Why am I writing so? Because this "first act" of Zehul music is Wagnerian in the maestosity of the operistic parts directed by Stella Vander, and in Kobaia I see the realization of something between Nietszche and the Aquarians. A new state of mind, an utopic world for a new "supermen" race that's to be intended as a natural evolution of the human race.

So Kobaia is closer to SciFi than to history. It's the same kind of utopia on which L.R. Hubbard based his artificial religious sect, initially helped by the Slan's father A.E.Van Vogt.

Back to music, this album has often been defined as "chellenging". I don't think so. Of course it's not light or easy, but it's first of all good music. It has jazz and classical. It has guitar and bass. It has everything one can look for in a prog album.

It's not easy but it's never boring or challenging. You only need to be in the right state of mind for it, as for a lot of non-easy listening music.

"Da Zeuhl Wortz Mekanik" is my favourite track, but this album is a whole. MDK was often played entirely in "one shot". As many Magma works, it's not a collection of songs but a symphony with several movements. So forget all the discussions about Vander's political side and enjoy a masterpiece of progressive music.

For newbies, I suggest starting with the first two jazz-rock oriented albums before attempting this one. It will help in getting familiar with those sounds and this kind of music.

This is THE masterpiece of Zeuhl, and if zeuhl is prog it can only be rated the maximum. Not suggested to fans of neo-prog and melodic stuff.