z.a.r.p.e.k. (O-Z) XIII

Thanks Mike that was great, like always your descriptions are on the spot. From that short video it does feel like they do belong here. Hmmm...but that drum sound can be a little tedious on the ears if listening to a whole album. I've heard it a hundred times, it was recorded with a trigger which sometimes sounds good and sometimes not. I find it harder to get used to, reminds me of the band About Tess. But I don't want to sound negative because I did like the music 

I love the Present album a whole lot, between the beastly music on the CD and the awesome DVD footage.

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Nogbad, I obviously posted that long reply/sample just as you were posting yours! Yep, I've been playing it all morning now, it's terrific!! It's probably because I bought about ten other CD's at the same time that it's been a little neglected. I have never heard Shub Niggurath, even though I certainly know OF them, is there a place you would recommend to start with them? Indeed we were Their masterpiece is Les Morts Vont Vite, it's an absolute monster of an album, a lot more atmospheric, dark & menacing than Unit Wail but if you like that sort of thing it's genre defining alone with Univers Zero - Heresie. The other one to get is Introduction, it has one shared track with Les Morts but it's worth it for the rest. They are the only two albums released by the definitive lineup. To be honest I'd avoid the rest.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Nogbad, I obviously posted that long reply/sample just as you were posting yours! Yep, I've been playing it all morning now, it's terrific!! It's probably because I bought about ten other CD's at the same time that it's been a little neglected. I have never heard Shub Niggurath, even though I certainly know OF them, is there a place you would recommend to start with them?

Indeed we were

Their masterpiece is Les Morts Vont Vite, it's an absolute monster of an album, a lot more atmospheric, dark & menacing than Unit Wail but if you like that sort of thing it's genre defining alone with Univers Zero - Heresie.

The other one to get is Introduction, it has one shared track with Les Morts but it's worth it for the rest. They are the only two albums released by the definitive lineup. To be honest I'd avoid the rest.

Sagi, see what you think of this:



To be honest, there's different stuff on the album that sounds more Zeuhl-like, but overall it's rather bent, eerie and uneasy music. Bit of a mix of Crimson, Present, etc.

Here's the description of it from the Wayside Music website:

"Unit Wail is the long awaited return to music of Franck Fromy, who was the founder and leader of the rightly legendary dark French zeuhl band Shub Niggurath. The sound here is heavy and dark, but also modern; the sound is closer to modern, 00s heavy Zeuhl bands like Combat Astronomy and Ga'an. The line-up is Vincent Sicot-Vantalon (keysboards & all compositions), Philippe Haxaire (drums), Adrian Luna (bass), Emmanuel Pothier (synths) & Franck Fromy (guitar). Bassist James Hugget from Combat Astronomy even makes a guest appearance on one track.

Propelled by a heavy rocking band, the music explores dark Crimsonian horizons, illuminated by Franck’s stellar guitar. Unit Wail proposes us here some kind of dark Zeuhl post-rock, exploring little frequented side-paths."

I got this at the same time as that Strave album we've been discussing.

Perhaps I should suggest them to be added to the site, unless someone has already done so?

UPDATED - Band/album proposed in `Suggest New Bands' etc.

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - January 02 2013 at 17:31

Some very good choices here, I usually tend to go with the more obscure ones but this time I have to go with the Floyds. I never thought of Ummagumma as a directionless album, It's just a band experimenting with what they have. Haunting acoustic songs aside with pure heavy psychedelia, this is one of their albums who affected me the most, I don't know why but it just did.

John, funny you mention Unit Wail, I bought that a couple of months ago from Greg Walker but haven't given it a proper listen yet. When Greg's updates show up, I tend to just buy several of the purely instrumental albums he gets (I've got a friend who prefers 100% instrumental albums, so I'm always on the lookout for smething to recommmend to him), and hope for the best! Usually end up with something interesting!

I'll dig out the Unit Wail CD now and give it a listen over the next day or so!

Actually, just giving the opening track a spin now, what a dramatic, swirling Zeuhl run with nasty distorted guitar! I'll keep at it!

UPDATED - John, several tracks into the Unit Wail album, it's really good! Man, even the jazzier stuff on it like the third track `Télété' has a really bent and off-sounding guitar/keyboard unease to it!

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - January 02 2013 at 15:15

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: In with Nogbad here, I'm going to cheat as well and vote for the Present album/DVD `Barbaro'! The album itself is a chilly, oppressive and stony monster. but THAT DVD....out of this world. Takes a few minutes to kick in, but when it does, it's the most intense, hypnotic vile and downbeat music...very addictive and emotional listening/viewing, I love it. If I could afford to lose any more, I'd be tearing my hair out watching it! Have to say, though, both the Ozrics albums are among their best, and two of their most defining works, they're sure to both see some love in this poll!

Love your description of that DVD Michael, i would go out and buy it because of your words if i didn't already own it.

In with Nogbad here, I'm going to cheat as well and vote for the Present album/DVD `Barbaro'! The album itself is a chilly, oppressive and stony monster. but THAT DVD....out of this world. Takes a few minutes to kick in, but when it does, it's the most intense, hypnotic vile and downbeat music...very addictive and emotional listening/viewing, I love it. If I could afford to lose any more, I'd be tearing my hair out watching it!

Have to say, though, both the Ozrics albums are among their best, and two of their most defining works, they're sure to both see some love in this poll!

Mellotron Storm wrote: HolyMoly wrote: I'll give Moonsongs a vote, one of my favorite TP albums.  Warheads, Etude for Combo, title track.... three classics right there.  As much as I like In Extremis (historically my favorite, but nowadays I dunno), the earlier stuff really benefits from Bob Drake's input.  There's a certain roughness to his playing that keeps the album on edge.  After Drake left, his successors were pretty much virtuosos, which is great, but something was kind of lost with no Bob.  And I'm drawing a blank on the singer's name, but I really like her work with the band on this album and In This Life. Hard not to vote for Ummagumma, but .... when you get down to it, Ummagumma is kind of a BS album, being half live and half solo experiments.  Don't get me wrong -- a fantastic album by one of my favorite bands, but if I were to make a case against it, I'd bring up how they kind of side-stepped the issue that they really were still kind of confused and uncertain after Syd left.  Ironically, though, it's that very confusion that makes early Floyd so compelling to me.  Somewhere along the way, they must have said, we may not have a clear direction right now, but let's just poke around and see what works. Love Moonsongs ! Gave it 4.5 stars and probably only rate "In This Life" by them higher, another early album of theirs. I like your evealuation of the early ones too. They do "sound" different and the word you used "roughness" is a good way to describe it. Man the live part of Ummagumma i'd give 5 stars too, love it ! The studio part is an acquired taste no doubt.