EIDER STELLAIRE I

It's a shame this zeuhl gem has not received a proper CD reissue, but that doesn't mean the much contained in it is not worthwhile. All of the musicians on this album show incredible talent. The basis of the album lies upon the frantic bass work and driving keyboard passages, all accented by soaring guitar lines. The album has a pretty thick groove, especially for an instrumental album. And true to the zeuhl nature, it features chant-like female vocal lines, but there are no lyrics here. It works out very nicely as the vocals add more texture and beauty to the music without having words get in the way of everything. The album is mostly upbeat and fast, keeping a consistent fast pace and only providing little room for slower sections. Occasionally, the music is enhanced by other instruments like saxophones and flutes in addition to the main instruments. One thing I especially like about this album is more presence of the guitar, especially in the solos. I don't hear a lot of that in other zeuhl recordings. So overall, this is an amazing and essential piece of zeuhl music. I find it surprisingly more accessible than many other zeuhl bands, but don't let that drive you away from this as it is still very weird! Fans of Eskaton will find much common ground with this album. High recommended!

Standout songs: "Legende," "Nihil"