ZOAHR – Mosiac

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · March 18, 2025

ZOAHR is a heavy bluesy/ psychedelic/ desert rock band from Pirmasens, Germany. Formed in 2017, the power trio consists of Thorsten Winkler on bass, Philipp Dahler on drums, and Jessie Schmidt on guitar and vocals. The band’s releases include 2019’s OFF AXIS, 2022’s Apraxia, and their latest album, 2025’s Mosiac. Released on January 14th 2025, Mosaic contains nine tracks in forty six minutes.

“Endurance Race” starts with a grooving bass and drum rhythm that is augmented with a fade in of scorching psychedelic guitar leads. The warm distorted riff kicks in with a nice seventies style tone to the music. The vocals sound great for the heavy rocking grooves that ZOAHR are dishing out. The band comes sprinting right out of the gate, contrary to the title “Endurance Race”. The acid jams are electrifying on this hard rocker! A fantastic first track to open up the record with. “Zephyr” gets things going next with a heavy and funky rhythm of psychedelic blues rock. The band has captured a big sound in which Mosiac was recorded live in the studio. Each instrument has a clear, crisp and fresh sound that is very sonically pleasing to the ears. Jessie Schmidt has a great vintage sounding voice that gives the songs a nice classic retro dynamic feel without sounding outdated.

The third track “Garden Of Grief” is less fuzzy but carries a hard rock and blues driven appeal to the song. The cleaner guitars are a nice change and transition for which really accentuates the band’s bluesy tones in the finest way. “Prisma” also works to ZOAHR’s strengths and flows along with a nice rocking vigor. The vocals carry a melodic charge that is elegantly pleasing with the hard driving music. The band has a tight rhythm section of bassist Thorsten Winkler and Philipp Dahler on the drums that allows the guitar playing of Schmidt to display a wide range of bluesy leads and infectious solos. “Cornered” is another solid tune that blazes a heavy rocking blues number with fiery leads dazzling throughout the song. It’s a striking straight up rocker that doesn’t get too fancy or overly dramatic.

“Erosive” has a slower thumping groove that entangles nice melody in with the power rocking rhythm. It also splices in some psychedelic tones that feel just right. “Idols & Statues” is a more uptempo pounder with rock solid drumming, flowing bass lines, and righteous guitar rhythms. The clear balance in the production is superb throughout the whole recording. Each instrument is mixed appropriately with nothing too over-powering. The eighth track entitled “Red Tide” is another classic sounding song that is rooted in the seventies with its distorted guitar tones with the raspy yet melodic vocals. The final song on Mosiac is called “Wayward Blues”. The seven minute finale is oozing with blues and has nostalgic and evocative tones that one cannot deny. The dual vocal melodies coupled with the sultry rhythmic sounds is a refreshing touch to an already impressive and majestic recording. ZOAHR has a charming and formidable ensemble of musical styles that are weaved into their own sound, creating a truly beautiful collection of heavy psych and rocking blues.