Osiris-Osiris (1981)

There are things that, if someone had told me 40 years ago, I would have dismissed the person telling them as fanciful or a liar. This brings me to one of the bands that emerged in the Middle East (there are quite a few more, however strange that may seem to us today) in the 1970s. Well, one of them is Osiris, formed in Bahrain in the late 70s and composed of a group of young people open to Western musical culture, mainly British and European. Their initial lineup consisted of Mohamed Al-Sadequi on guitar and vocals, Mohamed Abdul Razak-Aryan on keyboards, Nabil Alsedeqi on drums, Sabah Alsedqi as lead vocalist, Abdul Razzak Arian on keyboards, Nader Sharif on keyboards, and Ali Knonji on bass. It's striking that this band had three keyboardists in its lineup, something that, on the other hand, somehow gave their progressive style a solid sound. Their output isn't exactly top-notch, but we can't expect much more considering their origins. Musically, it's clear that Camel records were readily available in their country, given that their influences were largely from the legendary British band. Their debut album was released in 1981, and on it, the group alternates excellent guitar solos and fast, exciting keyboards with complex and striking organ and synthesizer arrangements. It's remarkable how a band from that remote part of the world at that time could create such incredible and superbly composed music.