b r a n d o n

I've finally accepted it. Daniel Denis and Univers Zero are not going to make another Heresie or another Uzed. The music of Univers Zero since they re-formed in the late 1990s is related to the music of Univers Zero 25-30 years ago, but only tangentially so. The band is, of course, known for their monolithic, extraordinarily dark and moody brand of instrumental rock; but more and more they have been ditching the creepy horror-movie atmospheres in favor of a more dynamic electrified chamber music sound. That evolution is most clearly evident on Implosion, the third "new" UZ album. Frankly, while The Hard Quest was such a welcome comeback that I would have been overjoyed even if it had been mediocire, neither it nor Rhythmix have had much staying power for me. I find the longer, more open-ended, more oppressive compositions of UZ's earlier work more compelling overall. The new-school Univers Zero is still pretty unique, and still pretty good, but no longer completely enthralling. That said, Implosion is easily my favorite of 21st-century Univers Zero. Compared to previous efforts, it's practically cheerful; while some of the interludes are ominous noise experiments (that, incidentally, don't really do anything for me at all), the compositions proper are surprisingly - and addictively - melodic. Only "La Mort de Sophocle" is a peek back at what was, with a slow creepiness that tantalizingly reminds of the older stuff. Denis' compositions have never been tighter - for better or worse - and the expanded instrumental palette already evident in Rhythmix is used to even better effect here. In fact, a lot of the pieces here - "Falling Rain Dance", "Temps Neufs", "Mellotronic", to name just a few - shouldn't really be that scary even to those who shy away at the mere mention of RIO or avant-rock. Thanks to the newfound melodicism and, perhaps, the continuing growth of Denis' compositional experience, this is the most accessible UZ yet, and not at the expense of depth. So while fans of the old-school stuff like myself may still regret that the band has (probably wisely) moved on to create a new signature sound, there's no denying that the new Univers Zero is still a juggernaut of a band. Implosion is their best effort since those good old days. review by Brandon Wu — 1-26-05 —