"Before My Eyes Go Blind: Complete Recordings" by ZIOR and MONUMENT – Featuring Four Albums and Two Bonus Tracks (one credited as MONUMENT) from May 1971, October 1971, 1973 and 2018 (August 2019 UK Grapefruit Records 4CD Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...

1971

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Sporting the same luxurious yet doom-obscure gatefold artwork as the Black Sabbath debut album (courtesy of cult artist Keef) - Zior's 1971 debut on the obscure Nepentha Records label waffled on the front cover about Hell and Love and the icky like. Yet talk of the occult and stage shows that apparently scared the living crap of unsuspecting audiences - Zior turned out to be a rather ordinary Hard Rock Band with occasional hooky tunes that really could have done something if they hadn't been mired in such jump-on-the-occult-bandwagon crap.

Typically though, cult British reissue label Grapefruit Records (part of Cherry Red) do the business by our hairy Southend band and deliver a Box Set that may at last give their Atomic Rooster/Black Widow Rock sounds a better airing and understanding. I can't honestly say that all of it is worthy of such lavish attention - but you do get the hugely expensive May 1971 debut on Nepentha Records, an October 1971 album featuring Zior Leading Man Keith Bonsor hiding under the pseudonym of Steve Lowe in a band called Monument (on Beacon Records), a German-only LP from 1973 by Zior on Interchord Records and finally on Disc 4, a privately issued album of new Zior recordings from 2018. The first two even sport bonus tracks in the shape of rare single B-sides. Let's get blinded by the light (and coven clichés)...

UK released 30 August 2019 - "Before My Eyes Go Blind: The Complete Recordings" by ZIOR [including MONUMENT] on Grapefruit Records CRSEGBOX057 (Barcode 5013929185708) is a 4CD Clamshell Box Set of Remasters that plays out as follows:

CD1 (44:10 minutes):

1. I Really Do [Side 1]

2. Za Za Za Zilda

3. Love's Desire

4. New Land

5. Now I'm Sad

6. Give Me Love

7. Quabala [Side 2]

8. Oh Mariya

9. Your Life Will Burn

10. I Was Fooling

11. Before My Eyes Go Blind

12. Rolling Thunder

Tracks 1 to 12 are their debut album "Zior" - released May 1971 in the UK on Nepentha Records 6437 005 (no US issue). Produced by BILL FARLEY - it failed to chart.

BONUS TRACK:

13. She's A Bad, Bad Woman - Non-Album B-side to "Za Za Za Zilda", released 25 June 1971 in the UK on Nepentha 6129 002

CD2 (45:47 minutes):

1. Entrance Of The Devil [Side 1]

2. The Chicago Spine

3. Have You Heard The Wind Speak

4. Time is The Reason

5. She'll Take You Down

6. Dudi Judy

7. Strange Kind Of Magic

8. Ride Me Baby

9. Evolution

10. Every Inch A Man

11. Cat's Eyes 3

12. Suspended Animation

13. Angel Of The Highway

Tracks 1 to 13 are their second studio album as ZIOR called "Every Inch A Man" - released early 1973 in Germany on Global/Interchord Records 26009-1.

CD3 (33:56 minutes):

1. Dog Man [Side 1]

2. Stale Flesh

3. Don't Run Me Down

4. Give Me Life

5. The Metamorphosis Tango

6. Boneyard Bumne

7. First Taste Of Love

8. And She Goes

9. Overture For Limp Piano C

10. I'm Coming Back

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "The First Monument" by MONUMENT where all tracks are credited to STEVE LOWE as the writer - really KEITH BONSOR of ZIOR - released October 1971 in the UK on Beacon Records BEAS 15

CD4 (61:54 minutes):

1. Welcome To My World Of Darkness

2. The Wicca Maker

3. Crowman Rises

4. Demon Woman

5. Vampire Night

6. Earth Hell & Fire

7. The Spirit Of India

8. Release The Dogs

9. Eastwood Bugsy

10. Sabbat 8

11. Scorpion

12. Storm Chaser

13. Entry Of The Devil Voices

14. Rue Chanoinesse

15. Data Bizzare

Tracks 1 to 16 are the album "Spirit Of The Gods" privately released on Vica Records (with no catalogue number) in 2018

BONUS TRACK:

16. Inner Mind Vision (1971)

The 24-page booklet features a new interview with Zior's principal songwriter Keith Bonsor (all material is licensed from him, no mastering credits) and DAVID WELLS liner notes on their 'colourful' history. There are impossibly rare Euro picture sleeve variants for their two Nepentha Records 45s - "Za Za Za Zilda" (June 1971 on 6129 002) and "Cat's Eyes" (December 1971 on 6129 003 with "I Really Do"on the B-side).

Bonsor also explains that the band may have encapsulated actual witches, but they were never evil-mongers and the Beacon Records album by Monument only did for their rep with its lurid claims on the back cover of Witchfinder General goings on. The audio on each varies from good to great - the superb Flute and Harmony Rock of "New Land" on the debut sounding suitably impressive for instance while the 2018 is actually too in your face. And the debut card sleeve is a gatefold reflecting that original iconic artwork – the others are singles.

You can understand why Nepentha Records tried the Blackfoot Sue "Standing in The Road" sounding "Za Za Za Zilda" track as a 45 that might land Zior on 'Top Of The Pops' - hooky and catchy. It was at least better than its rather dull "She's A Bad, Bad Woman" non-album B-side. But the debut (like much of their stuff) suffers from average songs, a good but never great vocal and a fair-to-middling production. Those expecting the big riffs of Sabbath can look elsewhere - but that doesn't stop stuff like "New Land" being excellent - though you may wonder where the bop Rock 'n' Roll of "Rolling Thunder" fits in with all that doomy artwork. Albums two, three and four feature more badly recorded vocals buried in the mix of Rock riffage ("Strange Kind Of Magic"), Psych Rock ("Boneyard Bumne") and so on. By the time you make it to the final splash, it feels like hard work instead of hard rock.

In the end much of the Zior material is very second rate and feels more dated that dark. For fans it's a treat for sure, but I'd advise anyone else a listen before purchase...