UZED

Of all the "classic-era" Univers Zero albums - that is, those released between their debut and Heatwave, after which they entered a long hiatus like Dracula returning to his tomb - Uzed is the one which took the longest to grow on me. It's clearly in a lot of respects a transitional album between the hyper-complex organic chamber rock of Ceux du Dehors and the more electronic Heldon-influenced sound of Heatwave; note, in particular, how the epic album closer Émanations ultimately disintegrates into an industrial-tinged soundscape that suggests the electronic experiments of the subsequent album.

However, whereas I previously felt that the album falls between two stools somewhat, repeated listens have teased out some more subtle aspects. Subtlety isn't exactly what you expect from the band which gave you the howling, horrific nightmare of Heresie, of course, which is arguably why I missed it the first time, but of all of Univers Zero's classic run of albums, Uzed is by far the gentlest and most peaceful. This can come across as a lack of momentum and vigour, especially since it follows the frantic complexities of Ceux du Dehors, but taken on its own terms it's a gentler, more stealthy, more quietly disconcerting take on Univers Zero's horror-RIO than their usual fare.