osiris

• Label: Pharaway Sounds
• Edition: First vinyl reissue
• Packaging: Includes an illustrated insert with photographs and liner notes

Osiris is the remarkable debut album by one of the earliest progressive-rock bands to emerge from Bahrain and the wider Arabian Gulf. Originally released independently in 1982, it combines the ambitious arrangements of European progressive rock with melodic and rhythmic elements drawn from Arab musical traditions.

The group was founded by brothers Mohamed and Nabil Al-Sadeqi, whose musical collaboration dated back to the late 1960s. After periods studying abroad, they returned to Bahrain and assembled Osiris with musicians who shared their interest in progressive rock, analogue keyboards and experimental composition.

The album was recorded and mixed in only three days at Bahrain’s sole eight-track studio. Since no local record-pressing plant was available, the original vinyl edition was manufactured in the Philippines and approximately one thousand copies were distributed mainly within Bahrain.

“Fantasy” introduces the group’s distinctive sound through expressive guitar, synthesiser and shifting rhythms. The extended “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” develops through atmospheric keyboard passages, driving progressive-rock sections and melodic guitar leads, while “Struggle to Survive” combines hard-rock energy with a more direct vocal approach.

The second side continues with “Atmun,” whose title and atmosphere reflect the group’s interest in ancient Egyptian and Arab culture. “Embers of a Flame” and “A Story of Love” balance psychedelic guitar and analogue keyboard textures with quieter, more reflective passages, before the instrumental “Paradox in A Major” closes the album.

Osiris drew inspiration from groups such as Camel, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes without merely imitating their sound. The use of Minimoog, layered keyboards, heavy guitar, percussion and Middle Eastern melodic touches gives the album a character quite unlike contemporary European progressive rock.

This Pharaway Sounds edition marked the album’s first appearance on vinyl since its extremely scarce original pressing. Presented with master-tape sound and an illustrated insert, it is an essential discovery for collectors of international progressive rock, hard psychedelia and Middle Eastern underground music.

Track listing:

Side A
1. Fantasy – 6:00
2. Sailor on the Seas of Fate – 11:46
3. Struggle to Survive – 5:01

Side B
1. Atmun – 5:11
2. Embers of a Flame – 5:00
3. A Story of Love – 6:15
4. Paradox in A Major – 4:06