PHASE IV

Although Univers Zero's Daniel Denis doesn't guest this time, Art Zoyd's Phase IV continues the cross-fertilisation of the ideas between the two bands. The result is an album which continues their chamber rock experiments and yet, to my ears at least, is perhaps the most diverse of their early releases. The composition Ballade, in particular, contains some rather beautiful sections which suggest that despite their thorny, spooky, avant-garde reputation the Zoyd by this point were not afraid of incorporating some more accessible elements into their music if they would fit aesthetically. No longer seeming quite as avant for avant's sake as their previous albums, Phase IV represents an extremely mature artistic statement on the part of the band.