Zior Zior

British blues-rock quartet Zior had their roots in the bourgeoning R&B scene that arose during the late 1960s in the southeast coastal city of Southend; they built a strong reputation in live performance, opting for ‘happenings’ in the style of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd that went beyond mere musical events. By the time they recorded their self-titled debut album, issued on Larry Page’s short-lived Nepentha label in 1971, they were clearly influenced by the emergent hard rock/ heavy metal scene of the West Midlands, drawing from Black Sabbath’s discordant riffs and occult influences, along with shrill vocal attacks in Led Zeppelin mode; there were shades of Steppenwolf and the odd Doors-sounding keyboard riff as well (and the Black Sabbath link was heightened by an album design from Keith McMillan, who was responsible for Black Sabbath’s debut cover too). The resultant Zior is a varied ride through different kinds of rock terrain, from blues rock to hard rock and on to whimsical psychedelia and prog-rock, making it hard to classify. Though this debut LP should have heralded a bright beginning, misfortune seemed to dog the band from the start; other recordings were released under the name Monument, the band members listed under aliases, and a second album, Every Inch A Man, was issued in Germany after Zior’s breakup in 1973, without the band’s knowledge or permission.