05

Scherzoo comes from the prog-infested environs of Lyon, France. As the title indicates, this is their fifth studio album. You'll find Canterbury-styled arrangements merged with the bluesy tritone flavor of Zeuhl. When throwing around the word Zeuhl, there's an expectation of assertive bass playing, and founding member Francois Thollot fills the role fantastically. There are two full-time keyboardists, so expect a lot of layering of chord voicings and ostinato riffs. However, they go for an electric piano-led sound that avoids wall-of-sound lushness. The spare sound of it comes across great when you turn it up loud. The mood is generally quizzical and enigmatic rather than diabolical and ominous.