Zior – Every Inch A Man (LP)

Trading Places present a reissue of Zior’s Every Inch A Man, originally released in 1973. The obscure British blues-rock quartet Zior grew out of the thriving late ’60s R&B scene in Southend-On-Sea, their live performances often taking the form of hippie “happenings”. Soon they were drawing from the hard rock and emerging heavy metal scenes of the West Midlands, with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin the most obvious musical influences (along with Steppenwolf). Self-titled debut LP from 1971 (TDP 54001LP) trampled through diverse rock terrain, but there was discord and diversions that stopped the band’s ascent. After Zior broke up, Every Inch A Man surfaced in Germany, without the band’s knowledge or permission; as with the debut, there is heavy psych, hard rock and straight-up blues rock, with a touch of krautrock influence.