HERESIE

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.