Since "Unda The Influence", which was probably one of the best modern bhangra albums of all time, this is what many people have been waiting for. The main man behind the success of the likes of "Rouge", Dr Zeus' has finally returned with his latest offering called "The Original Edit." Originality is the name of the game and this is what we've come to expect from Zeus. Employing the vocals of Lember Hussainpuri; the personification of the modern day Bhangra vocalist. From the upbeat summer banger bruuahhhhhh "Das Ja" by DJ Sanj to the emotionally wrenching "Na Toro" and "Mil De Yaar" by RDB and Dr. Zeus respectively, his voice has typified and dominated the leading tracks on almost every major Punjabi artist in the west. Even though labelled as bit of a music "Sl*t" by some (as he frequently disses out his talents on a wide variety of albums almost every month), this particular solo effort, which features no other Punjabi vocalist, has been anticipated by the desi masses for quite a long time. Boasting Zeus himself on the album cover colour co-ordinated in a very fine and slimming black outfit, this album has all the right ingredients for a potential album of the year, but does it have the right combination to deliver the 'daal and roti' we all crave for? Lets find out...

Thankfully Zeus abandons the clichéd introduction where artists proceed on a glorification of themselves just in case the album flops.

The album kicks off with a track produced by Bhota Jagpal called "Sachiyan" (meaning 'truth'). A fight-back track to all those mundae who been duped and betrayed by their kurian, this track is a bit patriarchal basically telling her "you ain't all that, you ain't that fit but you are a bit fat." The stinging vocals are in start contrast to the music itself with joyful whistles and a gentle guitar accompanied by a very desi feel. Strangely however, the long epic-style intro prepares you for a mind-blowingly emotional gut-turning tune, but you find yourself in a track that is decent, but doesn't quite live up to that. It's got standard Bhota production feel to it which makes it plain to see that Zeus had little or no input in this track.

However, you get a much more familiar Zeus feel with "Je Jatt Bigr Gaya", the second piece on the album. Now this is what you actually expect on the album as Lember's treble filled vocals strike a great contrast with the hard-hitting bass that will have your 12" (calm down now I'm talking about subwoofers) Alpine Dual cone almost popping out of the box. Lyrically more simplistic than the opener, meaning even the most gorrah of our desi's will be goin "oooo...acha", it harks back to Zeus classics like "Kangna." The only down side to the track is Rydem Ryder's spitting his verse at the start, as even though his flows pretty decent he talks about nothing new, just the usual drop top cars and the kuri's eyes. At least it's only a 20 second verse that is totally eclipsed by Lember. Listeners are re-acquainted with the come again" English voiceovers that features heavily in "Kangna", yet this track has a different edge, switching to an almost Boliyan style half way through, from the boastful manly Jatt to the worship of the "ghoriye." An excellent track it encapsulates Lember's vocal talent in a production tried-and-tested formula, which irrefutably works yet again.

The air of familiarity is maintained with "Giddech Deor Meinu Lageyaa", opening with a flute and a broken dhol beat reminiscent of "Ah Ni Kuria", but then an even grimier beat is dropped in parallel with Lember's voice. As with the original, Lember feels at home amongst the stop start beat with deep bass notes, but its like lyrically Lember has developed as his words carry more impact, and he is able to speed up and slow down his style similar to the likes of Sukshinder Shinda. A sure-fire club banger, this seems like its going to be flexing its way onto every desi DJ's turntables in order to get all those people on the side dancing. This is one seriously heavy track, but while you listen you wonder how long this album can bring tracks that sound familiar yet maintain an air of originality. I wonder if Zeus is up to the task…

But ah well kurian are the main topic of conversation these days (god I sound old), so obviously this trend continues with Zeus' fourth offering to the Bhangra altar, "Oh Kudi Patni." At first it appears that the track has too many layers to it, as if its been rushed in the studio an everything is out of synchronisation. However after listening to it a few more times and under closer analysis, you realise that actually everything pretty much fits like a desi jigsaw. Even though this heavily R n' B style influenced track does break up a bit into flaws at higher volumes, its essentially a good track; much more than an album-filler. The people who don't traditionally listen to bhangra will undoubtedly be amused by the metaphor that compares a kuri to a vegetable, like a carrot for example, as Lehmber nae "oh kudi patnee" ("patnee" meaning to uproot like your favourite garden delicacy).

After this uplifting R'n'B number there's a dramatic mood swing as the mood is sobered up with " Nit Kushi Naal Peendeh". The title is very misleading as this will do anything but give you "Nit Khushi." The light Spanish guitar returns but this time it carries a very different message, as it is the backdrop to Lember's dil breaking vocals filled with regret that drive this track. You might be thinking "o we've heard this before with Na Toro and Tin Cheejha" but you'd be sadly mistaken. While these famous Mr Zeus pieces have been criticised by some for being epic but one dimensional, "Nit Khushi" varies in the ways it makes your nain cry and burn all those photos. It switches from Lember's traditional Punjabi style to a Hindi-Urdu Gazal style, compounding the versatility of this man's voice. It don't exactly make you 'chak da phatey', more like chuck them down in contempt and light them with a match, but if you want a track to seriously make you lose yourself this track is second to none.

Even though track six 'Das Ki Sohniyeh' doesn't maintain the air of "o I've heard that before", it is a bit of a letdown after the nasha and ecstasy of previous efforts. It starts off fairly refreshingly with a nice sunny Spanish guitar, accompanied by a fairly simple and effective dhol-dholki amalgamation. However as soon as theirs that trademark Zeus pause, you expect a life changing rhythm to kick in so all your problems can be danced away, but it just doesn't. Lember seems to be merely singing over the song, as if the vocals were just layered over a beat to which, to be honest, even my uncle Davinderpal could sing over. I suppose this track is like Ronseal quick drying woodstain - it does exactly what is says on the 'tin.' Its a track about being dragged into Giddha and to be honest this is a track with a tune so simple every auntie from Toronto to Tunbridge Wells can clap to this one, regardless of the degree of arthritis they suffer from. On most albums this would be a fairly decent effort, but compared to what beauty has gone before it, its a boring pile of S****. Zeus let's us down a bit-it all seems a bit rushed.

Thankfully parity is restored with "Putt Jattan Da", another stunner. An amazing dhol kicks in from the start and is the sole instrument that carries the whole track along on its great wooden back, accompanied by the occasional stinging bass note that sends shivers down your spine. The track lacks melody, but it appears as if it was never made to have one as its stirring echoing vocals and heart-thumping dhol make all the hairs on you neck stand on end. This track isn't meant for you to close your eyes and swoon your head gently as the music carries you away, rather it shouts a statement as if someone's getting their two index fingers and prizing your eyelids open, with a grimy dhol. A thoroughly "javardast" (Punjabi for "mighty") track, the only thing that can be criticised is the fact that the song should be rather to do with war and punjabiness' instead of loving yet another kuri. From these efforts it appears Lember's and his writers have experienced ladies from the whole feminine spectrum, ranging from the hypnotic to the harrowing.

"Nit Khushi" as phenomenal as it is, is only a little sad note as we are bought back to full life and jawani with "Yaaran Diya Yaarian Ne Mareyah." For the first time Lember's voice is overpowered as he plays second string to the music within the track. This one is sure to be a success at weddings, birthdays alike as it retains a very desi feel, with heavy tumbi influence. However again you do get the feeling that a bit too much is going on in the track, and this time the jigsaw does not fit. Its trying to maintain the familiar western b lines with a dhol feel, but this time it fails slightly, and the cheesy sound effects accompanying the customary pauses in the track. They are hard to explain, but sound like laser beams in cheap sci-fi films or the sound you made when you were a bacha pretending your two fingers were an ak-47. It does really taint the desi edge the track has got.

The final track on this album is simply a remix of "Je Jatt Bigr Gaya (The Mr Shabz Mix)", this time with more emcee-ing. The rap is courtesy of Swiss formerly of the So Solid Crew and it's of a good standard. I'm not a fan of verses over Punjabi tracks, as normally they've got nothing in common when it comes to the topic being discussed. At least they're both talking about kurian on this one, but the extended rapping is not very original or jaw dropping and the hook is left unchanged. It kinda makes the end of the album leave you with an-empty feeling like you haven't had roti in like 8 hours, as you expect a real banger at the end of the album to keep up with the high standards before it. This track also featured on Swiss's solo debut album 'Pain'N'Muziq' and has been doin its rounds on the usual radio stations for sometime now hence why you might get the feeling 'I've heard this before.'

When the news hit that Dr Zeus was releasing his new album, there was a great air of expectation surrounding the man and with this album he has truly delivered. 8 spanking brand new tracks with Dr Zeus providing the beats have created a great formula. Even the less great tracks such as "Giddech Deor Meinu Lageyaa" are not actually bad efforts and on most albums they would be the highlights. There is not one track on this album that everyone will be goin "nahiii" to, that's how good it really is. From "Jatt" to "Nit Kushi" there are some seriously brilliant pieces on this album, and it is these tracks that make the two poorer tracks sound so bad, showing how far Lember's talent has been maximised in this album by Zeus. However even though it's very good, it's not quite as groundbreaking as "Unda The Influence", meaning it gets 7.8 outta 10. There is a limit to how many tunes one vocalist (Lember) and one producer (Zeus) can make together without it sounding same-old…same-old; it's fair to say we are approaching that limit if we haven't already crossed it.