La Zombie Et Ses Bizons
Herbe De Bizon

France is another one of those nations where the musical universe has always had an impressively vast array of offerings. Thus, among the likes of Aznavour, Brassen, Bécaud, and Montand, an avant-garde market has always developed, featuring semi-unknown names but with offerings of extremely intelligent quality. From the monumental "Zeuhl" of Magma to the refined and elegant sound of Dun, from the theatrical symphonies of Ange to the eclectic forays of Shylock, from the fantastic Jazz Rock of Edition Speciale to the Canterbury alchemies of Moving Gelatine Plates, we can get a partial view of what was the progressive and avant-garde world of the French land.

In 2002, a year when many already thought that prog had nothing intelligent and innovative left to say, this album arrived on the market, able to put everything into question, featuring here and there a bit of everything I mentioned above, but surrounding it all with very personal ideas that gave the product a particularly intriguing and pleasant packaging.

The group revolves around the strong personalities of its members, extremely well-prepared instrumentalists who manage to create moments that are now dynamic, now rarefied, of great charm. Right from the instruments, there is something new, obviously not in the instruments themselves, but in their combinations and use. The compositions feature the massive use of vibraphone in the style of Gong from the Pierre Moerlen period, flute creating imaginative musical bridges between crimson-like scratching guitars and complex rhythms, long tracks whose development is often unexpected, and at the moment when one would expect a full musical crescendo, everything softens for some sweet and dreamy flute notes, but the crescendo comes and is so rich in terms of harmony and melody that it makes one's heart race with emotion.

In 2006, the group shortened its name simply to "Zomb" and, again with Ad Lib Production, produced another gem titled "Le peuple des songes," beautiful even if not at the level of their debut. However, this second album was also released on DVD with the tracks rearranged for the inclusion of poems recited by a well-known modern poet (sparse, not exaggerated interventions).

Highly recommended group and album to listen to with interest for those seeking truly new and interesting things, beyond the banality of today's music.