Zarathustra -

Zarathustra was a German post-psych hard-rock band that released a 1972 self-titled album on Metronome.

Members: Ernst Herzner (lead vocals), Wolfgang Reimer (guitar, vocals, percussion), Michael Just (bass, vocals), Klaus Werner (organ), Wolfgang Behrmann (drums, percussion)

Background

Zarathustra formed in 1969 in Hamburg with a lineup of vocalist Ernst Herzner, guitarist Wolfgang Reimer, bassist Michael Just, drummer Wolfgang Behrmann, and organist Klaus Werner. Herzner hailed from Why Five, a German beat quintet that landed two songs—covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Proud Mary”) and the Sir Douglas Quintet (“Mendocino”)—on the 1968 Eurobana comp Ausgerechnet Bananen.

Rooted in the heavy British sound of the era, Zarathustra channeled the Hammond-led force of Deep Purple and the stacked vocal drama of early Uriah Heep. They took their name from Also sprach Zarathustra, a series of 1880s philosophical fiction works by Friedrich Nietzsche.

Throughout the early ’70s, Zarathustra gained traction on the Hamburg live circuit, where their extended improvisational sets and dynamic arrangements earned them local renown. Their growing reputation secured them a deal with Metronome in 1971. The band entered the studio that year and completed their sole, self-titled album for release in early 1972.

Zarathustra

Zarathustra released their self-titled album in early 1972 on Metronome.

The album echoes UK heavyweight titles (Machine Head, Look at Yourself) and German contemporaries Birth Control and Sixty-Nine. Klaus Werner’s saturated organ parts gave their sound a dense harmonic base, often taking cues from Jon Lord’s thick modal phrasing, while Ernst Herzner’s soaring delivery invited comparison to David Byron and other flamboyant proto-metal frontmen. Wolfgang Reimer’s fuzz-toned guitar traded leads with Werner across long-form numbers built on tempo changes and open-ended jam structures.

Zarathustra opens with dense organ figures and abrupt rhythmic shifts that set a percussive, hard-edged tone sustained across all six tracks. “Eternal Light” layers rapid organ pulses with distorted guitar runs that rise and collapse over snare-heavy accents, with sudden tempo pivots that break the instrumental lockstep for brief vocal intrusions. “Mr. Joker” drives with clipped phrasing over fuzz-saturated chords, narrowing into a sharp, staccato vocal cadence before bursting into wide, sweeping organ shapes.

“Past Time” extends past nine minutes, alternating between compact riff cycles and mid-tempo stretches that thin out to isolate bass and vocal, then build again around spiraling keyboard lines and syncopated cymbal patterns. “Nightmare” uses staggered rhythmic breaks and callout vocal patterns to pivot between terse refrains and drawn-out instrumental refrains shaped by circular Hammond phrasing. “Sad Woman” stays compact, centering on descending progressions and gruff vocals framed by saturated tone clusters.

“Ormuzd” closes with rhythmic suspension: low-register organ drones stretch under snaking bass runs and reverb-heavy guitar interjections, gradually collapsing into layered vocal lines and tonal decay. Throughout, Klaus Werner’s organ provides the structural spine, shifting between angular pulses and wide, distorted layers, while Ernst Herzner’s vocals lean into clipped English phrasing with compressed delivery.

A1. “Eternal Light” (5:36)
A2. “Mr. Joker” (3:41)
A3. “Past Time” (9:53)

B1. “Nightmare” (5:31)
B2. “Sad Woman” (3:33)
B3. “Ormuzd” (7:26)

Sessions occurred in November 1971 at Windrose Studios, Hamburg, with novice producer Till Landsmann and engineer Friedrich Bischoff, a soundman on contemporary Philips titles by Cravinkel, Dull Knife, and Eiliff.

Postlude

Zarathustra disbanded upon the album’s release. They have no connection to the later German band that self-released the 1982 album Also Spielt, nor any link to the Oktagon spinoff Zara-Thustra. Ernst Herzner resurfaced in Novalis for their 1985 album Nach Uns Die Flut.

Discography: