EROS

Aw man, this is obtuse stuff! Not for the faint of heart, believe me. This is persistently hard-rocking instrumental avant-garde rock with a disdain for convention that makes Gentle Giant seem like commercial sell-outs. Eros, the solitary album by this French band came out in 1981, but it mantains a rich organic sound that one would not associate with that decade. The compositions are doubtless very tough to penetrate, but this remains one of the best records of its kind ... precisely because there isn't anything else that sounds quite like it.

The opener L'epice is an unrelenting prog assault. It really seems to go on and on, changing pace effortlessly, but never giving up its driving attack. Arrakis has a more subtle start, with Pascal Vandenbulcke's flute and Bruno Sabathe's piano initially leading the way, but it also grows into a difficult beast, especially once the screechy guitar lead gets going, and then halfway through the ferentic "rocking out" phase has a bewildering chaotic edge, with complex harmonies and frequently unpredictable shifts in direction ... I swear there's a little Balinese music in it and whatta a drum solo from Laurent Bertraud (although Alain Termol is also credited with percussion) ... absolutely unique!

Bitonio, begins with stuttering flute, used almost like it's tapping out Morse code, then a running melody which dances from piano to bass and back ensues. 2 minutes into the piece, they thankfully stop to let you gather your breath. The respite doesn't last long, however, and by the time the closing title track comes into play, you're likely to be wishing for the ride to come to an end already. It's got a slow build-up, intense attacks, free-flowing flute melody and eventually a counter-melody too, and the by-now de rigeur deft shifts of tempo and mood. The unrelenting attack that finishes the piece off is almost nausea-inducing by virtue of the shrieking synths and sheer energy of the band's playing.

You could listen to this album three times in a row, and still be totally surprised the next time around. But be warned, it is confusing stuff that one is unlikely to ever feel emotionally attached to. In fact, even deciding to play it is like declaring war on your senses. In my opinion, Eros is heavier (not to mention infinitely more intriguing) than most metal ever gets. ... 71% on the MPV scale