ZEBULON

Das Boot aside..........

Zebulon is a German band who only released one album and then sunk without a trace.

The music on this self titled album is symphonic prog with a lot of jazz, lounge, german adult movies soundtracks, neo-bebop, muzak and Ekornes stressless chairs influences. The music floats on the top of the water without really getting wet or absorbing any moisture from the warm ocean below. The instrumentation is mainly based on guitars and keyboards. The music is lounge like with an occasion bursts into fusion territory inbetween. And there is no vocals here.

Which makes this album a bit of a hen's tooth really. A beak and a tongue, but nothing really more substantial than that. But this album still have some good music. But I am as enthusiastic about this album as I am about my recent brain surgeon studies. Useful fare, but nothing really exciting.

3 stars

This is a very likeable album in the Symphonic vein released in 1980 out of Germany. ZEBULON were a four piece band who released this sole album then disappeared. Keyboards including synths, drums, guitar and bass. All instrumental as well. There's a melancholy about this recording that I really like, especially coming from the synths at times. We do get some high pitched pings at times which isn't my thing and the guitar isn't exactly played in a style I prefer although he changes it up enough. Still I'm just drawn to their sound and find this to be a very consistent record.

It was tough coming up with a top three because of that consistency but for sure the longest piece "Pudding Explosion" at over 9 minutes is one of the best. This has all I talked about in it and more. "Galappagos" opens with spacey winds as sounds rise out of this like picked guitar, cymbals and some synths. Drums next until their kicking it after a minute. Nice. Guitar and bass standout after 1 1/2 minutes then we get a calm around 3 1/2 minutes in. Mellow guitar and synths as it starts to rebuild. Tough picking that third tune but I'm surprised how much I like "Schwanenflug". Acoustic guitar and melancholic synths trade off then the synths turn spacey as bass and drums join in. It's mellow with synths over top until after 2 minutes then piano leads the way as the synths turn spacey again. How about that electric guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in with chunky bass.

For me this is feel good music and well worth keeping around for that reason. Gotta give it 4 stars.