HERESIE

If the debut album was a slap in the face, this second album can be assimilated to a kick in the arse coupled with an uppercut in the stomach. UZ's music was never designed for easy thrills and charming melodies to get cosy with a partner, but with this album, the music sinks to the lower instincts of the human mind, uncovering some rather macabre moods. By now, the group is down to a sextet, with Nicaise gone, Trigaux will take on the KB duties, while still working his guitars. Another change is the arrival of Guy Segers on bass, and some thirty years later, he is still around the scene, albeit not always as a musician.

As with the debut, the artwork is just as dark and sinister (do not be fooled by the heavy gothic feel, though), fitting the music marvellously well, but certainly not making it more accessible. The side-long "epic", the 25-min Denis-penned La Faulx is a slow starter and newcomer Segers sings out chants that could easily be written by Vander. Quite a grandiose but doomed and gloomed moment, the track slowly picks up and peaks around the 11 to 13 minutes mark, and resumes a calmer (and repetitive) pace not far from Stravinsky's most sombre works.

The second side starts off with a collaboration between Denis and Trigaux, the 15 min+ Jack The Ripper (see my involuntary reference to it in the debut album's review), with the harmonium dictating the slow and lugubrious ambiance, with Denis's percussions providing most of the interest in the early part, before the violin first and the bassoon next bring the track to the next level of intensity. The albums wraps up on the Trigaux-penned En Temps Voulu track which brings many shivers of angst, which pretty well repeats what has been said before.

Hérésie is one of those albums that must be played only when the listener's moods are suitably ready for it. Compared to the rather short 1313, this 50-minute monster is quite a step upwards and forward in their musical search, but can be a bit long at times. Again, not recommended for the faint-hearted.

The Univers Zero that had recorded their excellent debut album experienced a few line- up changes; as a result, their music, while remaining enriched with tension and dissonance, became more sinister - yes, "Heresie" is a musical manifesto of impending evil, delivered with an inscrutable touch of distinction inherited from the combined influences of Bartok, Prokofiev, concrete chamber, plus some Gothic-meets-horror movie flavours. Pure electrifying obscurity brought by the most notable act from the Belgium avant-garde scene. If there is something such a mixture of the inscrutable delirium of radical insanity and the breathtaking pain of the darkest corners of hell. well, it is properly incarnated in the energetic sonic display delivered right here by Berckmans, Denis, Hanappier, Saeger and Trigaux. The woodwinds and the violin are usually the most prominent elements of the ensemble's overall sound, although it is also fair to note that Denis' drumming serves as an excellent asset, due to its solid precision, dramatic pulsation and effective anchoring for his four partners' sonic turmoil. Meanwhile, Trigaux manages to provide some sort of frame and support with his keyboard interventions and guitar textures, although constant resistance to "conventional" consistence is the name of UZ's game. King Deconstruction rules the repertoire, conquering it with an army of multiple dissonant layers, aggressive counterpoints and bizarre adornments. I certainly do not recommend this album for UZ starters, although the converted RIO-and-Zeuhl fan must already regard "Heresie" as an absolute classic (I'd suggest getting started with Henry Cow's first 2 albums and Magma's first 4 before trying UZ for the first time). The 25+ monster piece 'La Faulx' kicks off the album, portraying all the features mentioned above with a vengeance. Its relentless multitude of successive crescendos and exulting moods are properly counterpointed by some occasional melodically structured passages, which provide an air of momentary solace amidst all the Storm und Drang. The other two pieces are both 13+ minutes long: 'Jack the Ripper' and 'Vous le Saurez en Temps Voulu', are not as overtly infernal, but they're powerfully disturbing all the same and they certainly fill up the album's landscape in a cohesive manner. Special mentions go to the harsh violin shades in track 2 (perhaps a symbol of the fatalities that the infamous Ripper inflicted on his victims) and the intense counterpoints of tympani, strings and oboe that build up the somber solemnity of track 3 right up to its agonistic finale - a proper closure for this homage to Thanatos. "Heresie" is an outstanding prog masterpiece preciously located on one of the most experimental margins of the genre.

Some people overemphasize the scary boogeyman nature of Univers Zero (usually to promote their virtues), I think, but certainly their music is quite moody and dark, and this is likely their darkest sounding record. All the pieces are slow and ponderous, with sustained, repetitive lines and harmonies that are often "dissonant" to traditionalist ears. Certainly you can hear the influence of interesting European composers like Bartok and Messiaen, as well as, if not Zeuhl, the same sort of avant-jazz sources as Magma was tapping. Reeds and strings are the lead instruments, making this more of a jazz/chamber fusion than anything to do with rock music in the usual sense. The kind of music that would be good scoring a old silent horror movie, this is definitely a classic of its genre- I have to be in the mood for it, but it fits that mood perfectly.

Few times a month Prog-Jester sits in his chair in front of his audiosystem and desperately looks thru his CD-collection in search of something dark, challenging, moody and sinister. Thanks Prog I've already discovered GYBE, ASMZ (and the whole genre of Post-Rock) to be darkened to death, but I always want more, u'know ;)

Many thanks to Lugansk bargain markets - they're flooded with second-hand Prog CDs, sometimes broken or sleeveless, but always cheap ;) It's my alternative to MP3, if you wish. This time (actually in March...grown to write a review only now) by numerous advices, I picked this gloomy-looking black/white CD.

What can I say? This is superior. Don't pay much attention to 4 stars - this is my usual prejudition, I still consider myself to be a ZART-hater :) Just listen to the theme "Jack the Ripper" begins with - best stuff GYBE never did!!! And never will frankly, since they're quite another genre stylistically...but they as much dark as UZ even if not that much masterful. Giving up any comparisons, I just challenge ANY Prog fans to try UZ's "Heresie". This is utterly dark, and it's beautiful. I like that kind of music, and it's one more case when I'm reassured that some albums are just essential (like MDK or DUN's "Eros" or Zappa's best efforts) and they are MUSTS for every Progger, not only avant devotees or (for example) Symphomaniacs. Get it

4.5 stars. On the album cover is a black and white picture of the five band members dressed in black with sun glasses on looking quite sombre. One of them is in a wheel chair, and if you look closely you'll see they are standing in a swamp with a mist in the air. Great picture ! And a clue to what's inside musically. This is dense, dark, haunting, intense chamber rock of the highest order. I had this playing at work this week when a customer said to me "That sounds like my halloween music". I thought to myself "There's no way your halloween music is as scary as this lady."

"La Faulx" is a side long suite, and it's pure brilliance ! It opens with various eerie sounds with no real melody. We start to hear a voice before 4 minutes as it starts to sound quite sinister. The spoken words continue until 5 1/2 minutes in when it's just plain scary as you can hear a multitude of voices crying out. Violins follow and we get a melody for the first time as drums beat and the sound pulses.The sound starts to build as does the tension in dramatic fashion. A good melody 10 minutes in, and this section is fantastic ! This is almost "normal" chamber rock and it's a delight to listen to. The song calms down as the soundscape continues to evolve and change until we get some violin melodies 19 1/2 minutes in like out of a horror movie. The last few minutes allow us to ease back into reality,the journey is over.

"Jack The Ripper" opens with deep, dark sounds as the violin plays over top and then drums join in. Solo violins before they are joined by flute, then drums as the pace picks up. Some dissonant violin sounds 7 1/2 minutes in before the song changes direction at the 9 minute mark. Some slashing violin before piano arrives12 minutes in and then drums take over as it ends with violin. "Vous Le Saurez En Temps Voulu" is almost upbeat 3 minutes in with percussion, violin and more. It settles down 5 1/2 minutes in before picking back up 8 minutes in with lots of violin. A haunting passage begins after 10 minutes and continues until the song is over.

This clearly isn't for everyone, but if you want to go to the dark side just to see what it's like, then check out "Heresie".

I'm from a strange corner of the world called Belgium (No, that is not the capital of Brussels, it's the other way round). I've always enjoyed what we call chamber rock here: small classically trained ensembles mixing early 20th century modernism with world music influences. You can't usually call it rock in any traditional sense; but they sure inhabit a strong rock/punk/DIY attitude.

So I've been familiar with Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung, Aranis and a few others for quite some years. But again, Prog Archives has taught me a lesson. Until a month ago, I had never heard of Univers Zero: chamber rock from Belgium and 20 years older then all exponents I knew in the genre. Shame on me, here is the real thing! It makes you wonder how much else lies hidden in this expansive database here.

Univers Zero are hugely influenced by Stravinsky and (one of his followers) Bernard Hermann, known for the great soundtracks of Hitchcock's most popular movies. Check out minute 19.06 of La Fault! They add some percussion to it and a strong emphasis on rhythm. By consequence, there are slight similarities to Zeuhl. Jack the Ripper stands as a great example of their take on Magma with just acoustic instruments. You can also clearly feel the presence of Van Der Graaf and King Crimson on this one.

For me this music is an instant winner. I've been long familiar with the more recent exponents of chamber rock and I'm a huge admirer of the early Stravinsky works. But if this is entirely new for you it might be quite overwhelming, Jack The Ripper is sure your point of entry into this RIO universe.

I still have to work my way through the extensive discography of Univers Zero (Cuneiform, expect my hard-earned euros coming your way soon!). One thing I'm sure of already, at least one album of this band will end up as a 5 star for me. For the time being Heresie comes in at a steady 4 stars.

Spectacular, Historic Horror Music

Univers Zero's HERESIE has the historic distinction of being considered one of (if not THE) darkest album ever recorded. While I doubt that it quite makes that mark, it may be the most musically successful of any of the albums in contention. UZ is an extremely talented band, and many of the darker albums by other bands border on the ridiculously bad. In contrast, HERESIE works and works very well. It maintains my interest for its full 51+ minutes. The three songs have distinct ideas yet fit together cohesively. And most of all, there is a sense of variety and movement that puts this album leagues ahead of other intentionally horrific works.

That is not to say this is easy listening. It is extremely demanding on the listener. There are noisy sections simulating a brutal murder, complex time signatures, extreme dissonance, and dark melodies far beyond Phrygian. In fact, on my first listens I thought the album was just too consistently dark. Too much drone, too much doom, too much wallowing in the cold mud. Over time, however, my appreciation has grown. I've noticed just how many angles the band takes on their spooky subject matter. Though never light and happy, there are quicker, anxious sections to contrast the doomy drag. There are repeating melodic themes to contrast the more atonal shrieks. There are free time sections and straight time sections.

The 25 minute opener "La Faulx" takes the longest to develop, but its cultish vocals make it the scariest song of the record. Much of the song paints a scene of deep depression, impending doom, and hopelessness. There is less "lead" and more pure "mood" to this track than I'm accustomed to in UZ. It's as if this were a soundtrack rather than an independent piece of music. Certainly, if there is anything to fault on this disc, it's the length and lesser degree of focus on this first track. In fact, there is a section at about 20 minutes where the song seems to fall apart completely and stop for a few seconds. It recovers for a short energetic section before finishing in plodding, doomy form.

Both of the "shorter" tracks also start slowly but evolve into quite frenetic sections. "Jack the Ripper" is a nice example of telling a story without words. Moving from forboding dissonance to atonal anarchy, clearly the band had envisioned the killer stalking his victim through dark alleys before completing the gruesome act. The use of pure music to create an almost narrative scene is quite successful, and even enjoyable. (Naked City's LENG T'CHE is an example of attempting the same mission on an even more gruesome level, but in my opinion failing.) There is a clear sense of setting the scene, reaching a climax, and releasing tension. Good storytelling.

The final song "Vous Le Saurez En Temps Voulu," composed by keyboardist / guitarist Roger Trigaux, is the most traditionally classical of the three. It reminds me more of the debut album, 1313, which is one of my all time favorite records. It feels more specifically like a musical experience rather than the soundtrack to a horror flick. For more pure music fans like myself, this tends to be the favorite. The song relies less on atmosphere and more on composition.

While my initial reaction to this album was 3-4 stars it has now elevated to 4-5 star status easily with the repeated listens I do for reviews. Though I am not a horror film fan, I can appreciate darkness and this is done so well it's hard not to give it its due. Only the overlength of the first track prevents this from getting a masterpiece rating from me.

This album is the sole reason why I put off reviewing my Univers Zero collection for such a long time. If there ever was an album that I wound want to review without actually rating it then Heresie would be the one.

The album consists of three compositions where the first side is occupied by a beast known as La Faulx while the second side consists of Jack The Ripper and Vous Le Saurez En Temps Voulu which according to my non-existing French skills should translate roughly to "Find out in due time". What we're dealing with here are the most challenging and attention demanding 50+ minutes that I've, so far, had the privilege of experiencing. It's a rare opportunity that I cherish with great fondness, for every time I undertake this journey it takes me to entirely new places that I never thought one and the same record could ever incorporate.

I've had some completely magnificent experiences, a few entirely inaudible (incoherent) ones where I just wanted to turn off the music and many occasions that fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Although I realize that my experiences have much more to do with me and my mood/energy level/brain activity etc. at the time I decide to undertake this journey, still I can't help but be completely amazed by how different my reaction can be. An insignificant factor like the time of day does wonders for the overall experience and, dare I say, my personal understanding of this album. Even though, by now, I know these compositions almost by heart it all sounds almost new to me for every new revisit. No, I'm not just talking about recognizing certain new elements or sounds. It's almost like I'm listening to new set of compositions even though they all somehow feel vaguely familiar.

Through my experience I've found that the best playing conditions for this album are with headphones on while sitting in complete secluded darkness. All these individual elements plus just enough energy to undertake the journey will really get your brain working on overdrive and I guarantee that you'll be completely freaked out by this experience!

There no reason for me to even try to explain how these three compositions sound since, after each new revisit, I've never really felt the same way about any of them. The overall mood is dark and demanding so avoid Heresie like plague if you feel tired, depressed or are dealing with issues. I have a feeling that this album might be considered lethal for anyone who attempts to undergo this experience under any of these conditions. Although one might wonder how often we people can feel completely carefree and open-minded, but that's only my way of saying that this album is definitely not for everyone. It's certainly the first and last time Univers Zero have ever undertaken this direction on a record since it sounds nothing like any of their other releases.

Heresie is a challenging album for those few of us who can spare an hour of their day to completely indulge themselves into this album. If you're up to the challenge then I recommend it immensely!

**** star songs: La Faulx (25:18) Jack The Ripper (13:29) Vous Le Saurez En Temps Voulu (12:56)

This is what I call "chick magnet" music. Something you play on a first date. One of the best bands to come out of Belgium, Univers Zero are probably the most popular 'chamber prog' group. Similar to Art Zoyd but less experimental and more sinister. This is the band's second album and has a reputation for being dark and scary. I wouldn't say scary but I understand why people would label it such. A lot of the music here sounds like horror movie music. But the music in horror movies is generally not scary; what it does is create tension and suspense for the scariest scenes in the movie. The music of UZ is similar. They build a lot of tension and suspense in their music. Nowhere is that more apparent than on Heresie.

The instruments are mostly acoustic(bassoon, violin, harmonium ,drums, etc.). But the bass is always electric and there is a little bit of organ and guitar too. Almost no vocals. Because these guys are avant-prog they get a reputation as being atonal and unmelodic. Which couldn't be farther from the truth. There are plenty of melodies here. Just not happy melodies you would find in symphonic prog. Apart from some of the violin playing, there isn't much that could be called atonal. The music here is a cross between 20th century classical music and Zeuhl.

"La Faulx" is the 25-minute monster of the album. This piece sounds like Magma at their weirdest, Crimson at their darkest, and Henry Cow at their most dramatic...all at once. It begins with a drone made by organ or harmonium(or both). Then there is some talking. These guys from French-speaking Belgium here sound like they come from Dutch-speaking Belgium. Almost Kobian-esque vocals. Later we get percussion and some great, dark melodies for the rest of the 'song'. "Jack The Ripper" is a prog classic. If there was ever a 'K- Tel Presents The Best Of Rock-In-Opposition" album, you better believe this song would be on it. Possibly the best UZ song. "Vous le Saurez en Temps Voulu" is the least dark/sinister song here. A great song to end the album.

This was the last album with guitarist/keyboardist Roger Trigaux before he left to form Present. Drummer/composer Daniel Denis would lead the band from here on. Not the best place to start with UZ; check out 1313 or Ceux Du Dehors first. Heresie was remixed/remastered in 2010 with a bonus track. I haven't heard this latest version yet. But for the three songs on the album this gets 4 stars. Not too many groups were making music this adventurous in 1979.

Second Univers Zero album was a merciless middle finger given to any popular music, disco and punk in particular, at the time; heavily inspired by the darkest corners of Stravinsky and Penderecki, the band created a monstrous and hellish atmosphere dominated by sinister and demented harmonium patterns that give Toni Iommi's guitar riffs a run for the money, but the excellent combo of drums, bass, bassoon and violin adds a new dimension to the madness, and especially on the albums most claustrophobic spots. Extremely dissonant and bleak, the long compositions lead you through an intense series of ominous events;

The first nine minutes of 'La Faulx' is simply hell, represented by a beyond devilish harmonium that creates a blurred and torturous mood while the other instruments paints images alien enough to scar parts of your nerves. A creepy ritual with the band is made, quiet at first but soon turning into a demonic, transformal shriekfest before things calm down and fades into the next section; and suddenly I picture a horde of ominous creatures that sluggishly seeks for bloody events later on. The slumbering intro to 'Jack the Ripper' makes me think of London, autumn 1888, and the Ripper's final "official" (and goriest) murder. As the gloom and sinister atmosphere starts to climax we are introduced to a fantastically ominous harmonium riff that simulates the start of the murder, as the riff progresses a very violent and atonal violin solo makes the event clear and the listener left breathless. Possibly Univers Zero's tensest moment, but the rest of the song turns in a different direction and works perfectly as a "breather" after the murder. The final tune, a more rhythmic one penned by guitarist Trigaux is like a dark labyrinth full of chambers with strange stuff going on in them and you never know whats lurking behind next corner, which really adds to the paranoia. The spooky ending section is another highlight; it's very calm but neurotic and uneasy and ends rather abruptly, leaving you alone in the dark. Spooked out.

I still haven't experienced an album like this one, and probably never will, it's a peerless example on a drowning darkness album, and I am still intrigued by it after years of listening to it. Musically, Univers Zero sound deadly serious here, but you can actually sense some very black humour through parts of the whole oeuvre, most notably in the opening track, which also is the most sinister piece here. The compositions and playing are of such high and authentic quality that it they put any goth or black metal to shame, and the complexity stands up for multiple listens. Not for the depressed or schizophrenic, but adventurous listeners are advised to play it in the dark. I want this in my funeral!! 5 Stars for this unique masterwork, right up there with their next one 'Ceux du Dehors'.

This Univers Zero album, like much of their work, is barely rock at all. It has much more in common with 20th century classical composers like Stravinsky, and even the Warner Brothers cartoon composers Carl Stalling and Raymond Scott, than any rock album. But that shouldn't be taken as a bad thing. Univers Zero has absolutely created their own niche in the music world.

La Faulx the twenty five minute epic that takes up almost half of my CD (before the bonus track was added, sadly), could be the soundtrack to a classic horror movie (although I could do without the screams). Dark and disturbing, it winds it's way through many themes. I find, however, that the drums are poorly recorded on this track (they sound better on the rest of the album), and sometimes when I listen, the repetition during many sections gets tedious.

Jack The Ripper is my favorite track on this one. The music is somewhat more rock-like, and sound like a precursor to the "Heatwave" album (the first UZ album I owned, and one of my favorites). It builds to a delicious frenzy by the end.

Vous Le Saurez En Temps Voulu is great as well, but again, in a more classical chamber style.

If you are in the right mood, this can be a fantastic album. Just be careful.

Univers Zero's darkest and most unsettling album consists of two tracks which present a chamber rock style much like that found on their classic debut album and a deeply uncomfortable side-long piece (La Faulx) which is the most sinister piece the band has ever produced. Over Roger Trigaux's leprous harmonium the band thrash away like a rust-coated machine coughing and sputtering into life, and wild inhuman chanting and ranting issues forth out of the depths of primal darkness. Not quite on a par with the debut - it's a little too unvaried and unrelenting for a full five stars - but definitely one of the most powerful albums on this entire site. Approach with caution.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A major and unsurpassed (even by themselves) work of art. Without question, considering above everything else, the "league" these guys play on. What is astounding about this work also is that it has this kind of informal attitude like a coverage for a major work. RIO is supposed to oppose to established canons of progressive music; both in composition as in the marketing of the creative spirit of composers and musicians.

This I learned by luck, hanging around the "Decibel" people (founders of this movement here in Mexico) They hated "Yes" I remember; but also they presented me this masterpiece at the same time it was released in Europe. So I don´t care who they hated!...........

This is the best chamber music I have heard since Bela Bartok´s string quartets (or Beethoven's lasts) , I thought to myself amazed. Composed by a new RIO band named Univers Zero. (amazingly considering also that this is their second record). A well threaded dark atmosphere surrounds the whole body of work. Once inside you will be taken to very eerie and inhospitable places and yet as in Dantes´s Inferno you will feel at home. No gimmicks are needed by this unit to get you there. Pure natural original compositions and performances. And of course it is not the thrill of going inside a "land of horrors"; in fact there is not such a thing. We already are living in one.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you, me, them,...

***** 5 "masterpiece" PA stars

After perfecting their Rock In Opposition spin on chamber music with their debut "1313," UNIVERS ZERO obviously asked themselves "how can we REALLY turn up the creepiness factor?" and "how can we scare the fecal matter out of the listening audience?" On their second full album HERESIE the band went through a slight lineup change. They lost bassist Christian Genet and replaced him with Guy Segers. Both Emmanuel Nicaise and Marcel Dufrane jumped ship leaving the original septet down to a quintet. Several of the musicians are multi-instrumentalists so the sound of this second album which is almost twice the length of the debut does not feel like it's lacking in sounds.

As we approach Halloween in the US, I can not think of a more jarring and freaky sounding album than HERESIE. It was composed to incite the strongest fear factor that music can evoke. When listening to this I am still amazed at the miraculous playing technique where this band of skilled musicians can soar from passage to passage changing tempos, beats, rhythms and moods like a meandering flock of birds in the sky each knowing the precise nanosecond when the others change course. But the most amazing thing is how soundtracky this whole affair feels. It is a musical road through hell where feelings of maggots in your veins, ebola infected zombies chopping down your door with axes or screaming babies unable to escape the burning nursery ward of a hospital quickly creep into your jittery consciousness. The music oozes and punctuates like the shower scene in "Psycho" and it thrills and pacifies only to ratchet up a sonic frenzy of doom and dread and a gleeful celebration of the reign of the thorns of a dead rose.

For my money, I find this second release a tad better than the debut and that is one tall order for it was one mighty original and demented recipe for musical madness. HERESIE ups the ante severalfold and maintains its pace throughout its entirety. Even music that is designed to scare such as doom and black metal rarely achieve what these Belgians have on this pure acoustic sonic assault. I highly recommend getting the newer remastered version because the bonus track "Chaos Hermetique" is as essential as the original three tracks that punished the world in 1979. It sounds like it should have been part of the original track listing and adds an extra 12 minutes of depression to your life! What is wrong with me for liking this so much? I always have to look for monsters under my bed after listening to this one but the good news is they usually turn out to be the cute cuddly kind from Monsters Inc :-P