OSIRIS

The second Zao album retained the core Zeuhl-related lineup led by Seffer & Cahen, but the scatty female vocals of Mauricia Platon were replaced by Seffer and bassist Dugrenot, with additional percussion provided by Marc Chantereau and Pierre Guignon.

Like the debut album, Osiris is linked to the early jazzy Zeuhl style of Kobaia/1000 Centigrades rather than the later 'dark' Zeuhl of MDK which followed Seffer/Cahen's departure.

The opening track Shardaz is perhaps the most Zeuhl, scatty wordless vocals over a repetitive rhythm, but is also possibly the weakest. The group is at its best playing more 'developed' jazz arrangements such as Isis which builds slowly from a bass riff into a rolling jazz number, but without too much to recognise it as Zeuhl. Reinna is shorter and similar, but with a return of the vocals for a more Zeuhl-like track, and combining the best bits of Shardaz/Isis to create what is the best song for me. Yog - the most Zeuhl, and the most dramatic sounding track, I particularly like Truong's drumming here, and this is by far the next best. La Rhune unfortuantely goes back to the style of Shardaz, where nothing really develops and the album ends pretty weakly....

...BUT thankfully there's now a bonus track. Montreal is a really great live Jazz track with some Zeuhl elements, and its pretty much worth buying/listening to the album just for it. Guest female vocals, not sure who it is, but it complements the excellent saxophony from Seffer and some great percussion.

The album itself, 2.5 stars, but the bonus track lifts it to a solid 3-3.5.