Zior was a hard and progressive rock band originally from Britain with a penchant for the occult. The short-lived group was only active from around 1971 to 1973, though some sources suggest they were still active in the late 1970s; the band left an impression for wild stage antics involving black magick and other occult imagery during their live performances. This album, Zior (1971/2014), is the group’s debut album, and in particular the version I’ll be listening to is a 2014 remaster of the album. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“I Really Do” gets started with a big, heavy beat right away with shakers and claps that give a really dynamic feel to the sound. Some pretty heavy guitars come in with some riffs that feel almost like an evolution of heavy psychedelic blues from the late 1960s. I really dig the sort of mellow heaviness in this track as the drums, bass, and rhythm guitar keep the track moving forward while the lead guitar almost relaxes into a heavy solo reminiscent of Eric Clapton. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Za Za Za Zilda” begins with some soft, almost folksy acoustic guitar, and some interesting percussion that feels vaguely raga-ish. Holy smokes, the bass guitar and piano come in with an almost funk-like feel that reminds me of New Orleans acts like Allen Toussaint, The Meters, and especially Dr. John with the vocals and lyrics. Oh wow, after a groovy chorus the track mellows back out while some piano notes gradually melt into the soundscape. Wow, awesome track.
“Love’s Desire” gets grooving right away with some big bass notes and some squishy guitar sounds that bring about a progressive rock feel reminiscent of bands like Family from the late 1960s. Holy smokes, a massive beat comes in and acts like some sort of deep heartbeat in the soundscape. This track also reminds me again of that NOLA sound from the previous track, with extra infusions of prog rock. Holy smokes, the track grows into a super groovy, close, psychedelic rock track that has pulled my ears nearer to my speakers. The lead guitar almost plays with a sort of Spanish flamenco flare mixed with psychedelic blues rock, which reminds me a bit of Robby Krieger of The Doors. Great track.
Holy smokes, “New Land” starts out with some massive organ slams that immediately hook me into the track. Oh wow, the mixture of piano, organs, and gradually churning electric guitar while the beat and bass line groove the song forward has somehow hooked me further in, and makes me think of some sort of prog-rock-infused version of Little Feat. Oh wow, the chorus has such a big, melodious sound. Oh wow, the track breaks down into some sort of strange, NOLA-sounding jam after the chorus, which resolves to a classic 1960s psychedelic rock groove. Wow, awesome track.
“Now I’m Sad” begins with some super groovy organs playing a classic psychedelic blues-sounding line, which is soon joined by some bluesy, prog-inflected guitar that reminds me a bit of Tony McPhee, and some distant harmonica that adds even more awesome bluesy flavors to this track. Wow, I’m somewhat reminded of the Grateful Dead circa 1967 with these bluesy jams in this track, while the tones and timbre of the instruments suggest more of psychedelic prog rock sound from the time period such as from bands like Family or even Pussy. Oh wow, the track breaks through to a high-octane bluesy jam for the outro of the song. Great tune.
“Give Me Love” gets grooving right away with a medley of hard bluesy flavors from the guitars, piano, bass, and drums that remind me a bit of Cream and The Groundhogs. I really dig the rollicking blues piano in this track. The band seems to really be amping up the momentum in this one. Super sweet track.
“Quabala” begins with the crashing of cymbals and some sort of meandering guitar amidst the crashes. Oh wow, the band has dropped into a sort of bluesy, prog, psych groove that again vaguely reminds me of New Orleans with the drums and bass. I’m really digging this organ solo, which seems to continually get coaxed along by the guitars and the beat. There’s almost a haunting wave of vocals that gradually wave into the soundscape periodically as the song continues. Oh wow, there’s some spoken word that brings about the sort of occult sound that I saw so much on the internet about. Great tune.
“Oh Mariya” gets started with a mellow, building, bluesy psychedelic prog jam reminiscent of “Wake Up In the Morning” by Ford Theater. Oh wow, the track changes up to a heavier groove that doesn’t so much bluesy as it does of the occult, while still retaining the sort of psychedelic prog elements. Oh wow, the vocals turn into a sort of sinister whisper at times, which evokes the occult stylings of groups like Coven or Black Sabbath. Wow, great track.
“Your Life Will Burn” gets grooving right away with some drippy organs and a tight, churning guitar line set to a rockin’ groove from the drums and bass. Oh wow, the track keeps building up with a mixture of psychedelic prog and occult rock elements, which is continually getting me closer and closer to my speakers. Holy smokes, this guitar solo is awesome, and reminds me a lot of my favorite hard rock/metal guitarists’ melodic playing. Wow, great track.
“I Was Fooling” begins with some interesting acoustic folk guitar and what sounds to be a pan flute of some sort, which reminds me a bit of the sort of psychedelic folk style of Simon Pass. I really dig the light percussion in the form of a tambourine shake and a muted bass drum on the same beat. Oh wow, the flute comes back in for some really light, inviting flavors that I’m really enjoying. I’m really digging the acoustic guitar in this track, which continually moves the track along in a dynamic, light manner that has somehow pulled me further onto the edge of my seat. Great track.
Oh wow, “Before My Eyes Go Blind” starts out with some classic psychedelic sounds from the late 1960s with the organs and a big beat. I really dig the sort of guitar chops in this track, which gets the soundscape churning on the right side while the drums and bass groove the tune along from the other side of the soundscape. Oh wow, the guitar solo in this track has a really groovy, tight psychedelic, blues-inflected sound. Wow, another great track.
“Rolling Thunder” gets started with an interesting combination of somewhat heavy strumming from an acoustic guitar and a massive beat from the drums. Holy smokes, the track breaks through to a rollicking, upbeat groove that sounds like the meeting of English psychedelic blues from the 1960s and the funk, soul, and southern rock sounds of New Orleans from the early 1970s. Wow, awesome track.
“Cat’s Eyes (Bonus Track)” gets grooving right away with a big, heavy beat, some heavy, churning riffs from a guitar, and some super sweet piano accentuations. The vocals in this track have a sort of raspier feel compared to the original tracks of the album, and evokes more of a hard rock of the early 1970s in the process. I really dig the piano in this track, which again has the sort of sound I typically associate with New Orleans acts like Little Feat. Oh wow, there’s a really groovy guitar solo in this track as well. Holy smokes, the guitar licks at the end of the track somehow pull me even closer to my speakers, even as the song fades out. Wow, great track, and a great way to finish the album.
Holy smokes, this album is pretty sweet. Based on my quick research online, I didn’t really see anything suggesting any sort of New Orleans circa 1970-sounding music, and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard a fusion of those NOLA sounds in the piano, bass, and drums, fused with a sort of heavy psychedelic blues rock and prog rock from England around that same time. The listening experience was one that continually pulled me further in, with a dynamic sound between tracks that could range from folksy pieces to heavy psychedelic rock/prog rock jams. If you’re into psychedelic rock and psychedelic prog rock from around 1967 to 1972, or perhaps hard blues rock from England around 1970 that’s seemingly been infused with some NOLA elements, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A