Zior - s/t 1971

Zior had their roots in Southend's early 60's R&B scene. Kevin Bonsor had previously been in a local R&B outfit, The Essex Five, and the classical/rock fusion outfit, Cardboard Orchestra. Pete Brewer had been in another Southend R&B band, the Night Riders. He and Bonsor were Zior's founding members recruiting Truba and Skeets. 

Zior did have a reputation as a wild live band. They wee heavily into Black Magic and satanic Mass, etc. They recorded an album on the Beacon label, later in 1971, which was credited to Monument, though, in fact, featured all four members of Zior.

Zior was a short lived and unfortunate British cult band Similar to Hawkwind or Magma - Zior had two faces. One where live gigs had more importance trying to enchant themselves and the audience, a band of "happening". Playing live always had more importance and was more impressive than the studio work ,and second, an assembly of creative musicians in the studio. These two parts to two brief stages in the brief history of Zior. produced competent, but not exceptional hard rock - 12 songs of the first and only official Zior (per se) 1971 album, and second level of existence - so called "second album", which somehow was sneaked into Germany and first released there in 1973 (without any of the band members knowing and/or approving it). The second step to posterity is represented also on lengthy jam sessions which appeared in 1971 under the moniker of ''Monument'' (a.k.a. First Monument) because of legal issues (the musicians are not credited by name either). The second stage of Zior musical history is covered by 8 bonus tracks on the CD, and is absolutely outstanding in hard rock/psych/prog circles. The summer of love was over and flower power couldn't be the answer any longer. The answer was found either in the drug induced psychedelia, or new escapist religions. New barbarian tribes started invading the grounds of mellow mods and rockers, and these new tribes were looking for the new shamans and medicine men. Zior cannot be properly understood separately from this socio-cultural phenomenon. Many musicians turned to occult and magick , especially the teachings of the Great Alister Crowley (1875-1945)- Anton LaVev, founder of the church of Satan was known in the U.K. 

The new shamans were not "Black Widow" (Sacrifice - the debut album is just silly and has nothing to do with metal or doom whatsoever) the new faith was in the first efforts of "Black Sabbath," "Zior", "Iron Claw," or in "Coven" (Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls) . "Coven" by the way, was a totally different kettle of chum, they ''blessed" the world with the "sign of the horns" long before the heavy metal shock theatre of Alice cooper even existed. 

By the end of the 60's, Zior - Keith Bonsor, John Truba, Barry Skeets, and Peter Brewer had built up a reputation of an outrageous underground band and in 1971 released an album on the small Nepentha label. How seriously they were into occult and magick was questionable, but the songs on the first album are promising, but not really impressive - honest foot-stomping hard rock, repetitive tribal neat and chanting.

The band however had huge potential, listen to Monument, rumored to have been recorded during one drunken session (which is not true). Should it be issued on, let's say.. Harvest and labeled "purple", ? The critics and press would be drooling and praising it as a work of genius. According to Zior, it was "more fan than serious approach." But the music is excellent, completing high octane tunes of the second album. Needless to say, that the society was less than willing to accept self -proclaimed occultists, and dishonest agents contributed to the misfortune of this band.

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Numerous posthumous LP's and CD's are mainly bootlegs. "Zior... Plus" or, 'Every Inch a Man" whether on Mason or Arkama records, I hope one day we might be lucky to see a properly re-mastered collection approved by the musicians.

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This is the 'plus' version of this L.P. It contains 8 extra tracks.