Osiris

Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 742630041601
EAN: 0742630041601
ASIN: B00005LVU4

Release Date: 2001-06-06

Osiris

Related Categories:

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Album Description

The reissue of the first album from this Arab group. They play a refined, carefully worked-out Progressive rock with delicate and tasteful melodies. Their music remind the best Anglo-Saxon bands like CAMEL, GENESIS, CARAVAN and they like the combination between the numerous instruments : guitar, two keyboards, flute, vibes, percussion. So, their music is based upon the variety of the instrumental colors, the beauty of the climates and a great research of breaks, well-constructed arrangements. Progressive rock is a music without frontiers, everybody knows that. Bat who could imagine finding such music in the BAHREIN Emirate on the Red sea! That is where OSIRIS is coming from and Musea has been undertaking to reissue its works. Its soft Progressive music is sung in English and includes a few eastern influences. The main sources appear to be CAMEL and GENESIS for this nice surprise.

Customer Reviews:

Prog rock from Bahrain?.......2007-04-25

Yes, it's hard to believe! It's easy to understand how the Arab countries did not produce much in the way of this kind of music, because so many of their countries were either under dictatorships or the governments too highly dominated by Islam, so rock music was banned outright in many of these countries, but this group from Bahrain somehow managed and produced a string of prog rock albums in the 1980s. It's my understanding that this group actually formed in the United States in Houston while the al-Sadeqi (that is guitarist/vocalist Mohammed al-Sadeqi, drummer Nabil ad-Sadeqi, and lead vocalist Sabah al-Sadeqi) brothers were attending university there.

In 1982, they released their debut album, couldn't have came at a worse time for progressive rock (regardless of where in the world be it in Great Britain, Continental Europe or the United States), released before Marillion released their first album, and in a time when Yes and ELP were history, Genesis was more commercial than ever (thanks to Abacab released the previous year), and the new King Crimson (that released Discipline, also the previous year, and just released Beat) which had more in common with New Wave than the old Mellotron-driven stuff they did in the early '70s.

Anyway, I've seen Osiris referred to as neo-prog, but this debut album is not particularly neo and sticks more to classic progressive rock, of the late '70s variety. Two guys are credited to keyboards (Abdul Razzak-Arian and Nader Sharif), among the keyboards are Mini Moog, Solina, electric piano and Hammond organ, surprisingly no early '80s polyphonic synths like the Prophet V here! Vocals are in English, Sabah al-Sadeqi's vocals remind me of Andy Latimer, and like Camel, the vocals aren't the most frequent.

The album is basically symphonic prog with some nice complex passages. Mohammed al-Sadeqi is worth noting, especially all those intense guitar riffs he gives us throughout the album, he would seem to be as much at home doing heavy metal (if he wanted to) as prog rock, while at the same time giving some nice Latimer-like guitar leads. Then there's the keyboard work (especially the Minimoog), which goes fast in many passages.

The drawbacks: well the vocals, for one thing, but they aren't the most frequent, and the production isn't that great, but regardless, it's amazing where you might find prog rock in unexpected places (like Bahrain). Don't expect much in the way of Middle Eastern influences, expect much more of that European prog style circa 1977 or '78. Nice album and worth having.

Watchout Camel Fans.......2003-03-07

For those who like Yes, Camel or Genesis, add Osiris to your list of Prog. Rock bands. Great work for a band who recorded this CD back in early 80's & still sounds great as east meets west in their music. Once again fantastic job from an arabic origin band.

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music

Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane ~ Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane

Music CD 80

Loonis & London

The Water's Rising ~ Dan Rose

Unfinished Masterpiece ~ Eddie Palmieri & Lalo Rodriguez

Ancient Music for the Irish Harp ~ Derek Bell

Espiral Do Tempo ~ Anima

La Foire Aux Enfoires ~ Enfoires

Celestin ~ Hajo & Lygia

The Very Best of Franco & Sam Mangwana Vol 1: Oú Est Le Serieux? ~ Franco & Sam Mangw