ATOLL

3.5 stars. I really want to give this 4 stars but there's a couple of tracks that really let this album down in my opinion. Opinions vary on how good this debut by French band ATOLL is but almost all feel that their followup "L'araignee-Mal" is the better record. Both albums feature the same artist who did the colourful album covers which only enhance the experience. A five piece including a vocalist but three other members add backing vocals bring RPI and some South American bands to mind. We get a guest adding sax and flute.

For me the title track stands alone, it just sounds so much better than the opening two tracks and it's somewhat jazzy. These guys are players and the bass and drums are outstanding. Some crazy organ moves as well. Guitar and synths help out too. "Le Secret Du Mage" just stopped me in my tracks, the vocals and sound are terrible. "Le Berger" is a lot better but different from the rest with flute leading in a pastoral setting. Just not sold on this one but I am sold on "Le Baladin Du Tempes" the longest track on here at almost 11 1/2 minutes. Lots of vocals and harmonies early as bass and drums support, a guitar solo then more vocals. Bass and clavinet 6 1/2 minutes in as the style changes but the vocal led sounds of earlier return to end it.

A little inconsistent for my tastes but I do understand the love for this one. "L'araignee-Mal" remains my favourite of ATOLL's albums.

A cruel lack of inspiration.

A masterpiece ? I have owned the ATOLL CD since it was reissued by Muséa in 1990. Despite my efforts, I never felt any click when listening to "Araignée-Mal". I've read that some people compare ATOLL to Yes, King Crimson, Genesis or Camel ... That's beyond me!

This record is sorely lacking in inspiration and surfs between the theatrical rock of Ange (crazy lyrics, declaimed parts) and the jazz-rock of Mahavishnu Orchestra (Cazotte n ° 1). The compositions are flat, the melodies poor and agreed. Singing is common, sometimes even unpleasant. Some repetitive sections (such as "The Exorcist Photographer") hardly progress and cause boredom. I would only pick up a brief moment when the group woke up. This is the song "Les Robots Débiles" which reveals a touch of genius. But this too brief moment is quickly forgotten and we fall back into an endless slump.

Yes, I totally disagree with most of the other opinions ... For me, this record will only satisfy collectors or fans of 70th French prog. Besides, I put it on sale.

A not insignifacant part of enjoying music and records are the fantastic covers so often on display in progressive rock. Often enough they are so imaginative and thought evoking. When listening I often find myself immersed in the universe of the cover. Thusly this first album by Atoll blows my mind. The cover is spectacular and amazing in its Roger Dean-esque motif. If nothing else the band managed to make an album with an amazing cover. But that's not all they did.

Somehow you can't really escape from the shadow of Ange when you discuss Atoll. They are not entirely overshadowed by this band but there are some similarities. One can only imagine the massive influence Ange held over many a french prog band. I do think, however, that they succeded in making an album of enormous worth, filled to the brim with mellotrons (and other keyboards), great vocal harmonies and dreamy musical landscapes that shift to harder passages. Mostly the album is a dreamy journey, in line with the cover, but there are enough shifts in direction that offers an experience throughout, never getting dull or flat. Some reviewers talk about the production and while I do agree on its rather rough sounding qualities I would not pay too much attention to that. It is the music that matters and in the case of Atoll it comes shining through the fog of a somewhat poor production.

The opening, "L'Hymne medieval", is a good example of what to expect on the album. Mellotron drenched progressive infused with folk, Rickenbacker bass and beautiful vocals. And really, this song is simply 3 minutes of heaven. If you don't like that for an opening I guess there's a good chance you won't enjoy the rest of the album either. There are two longer epics that are outstanding, "Le baladin du temps" and "Je suis d'ailleurs" with their 11 and 8 minutes in length. I love them both but i do favor "Je suis d'ailleurs" just a tad more. I think it's due to the opening keyboards and drums which sets the tone and lures me into the cave of the beast that will be unleashed.

The album is very varied. From the symphonic, folk-infused opening to the lengthy epics mentioned previously, to the hard rocking groove of the title track (and no it's not disco we're talking about), straight into the lovely and utterly brilliant "Le berger". The latter is "merely" 4 minutes in length but is, sort of, the ballad of the album, with a medieval touch to the harmonies. I really adore this track. If everything else on the album was rubbish this would have been the jewel at the bottom of the cesspit. I hear echoes of early King Crimson balladry or the sound of Camel.

Sorry to say it seems that Atoll is largely unknown in the prog community, seeing this album has only 93 ratings. I wish that more people will discover this pearl of the progressive ocean and dive headlong into it. It is such a treat and from where I'm sitting almost flawless.

This French provides us with an excellent album full of contrasts and different genres. Although the band is considered to be symphonic prog, this album contains only some elements of that sub genre. I see much influence of Gong or Magma in the first song (Canterbury and Zeuhl), and then, complete jazz fusion in a couple of songs, a lot Mahavishnu Orchestra in their playing. Then it is visible the influence of Symphonic prog, some influences of Yes in some parts and I also saw some Camel somewhere. What is clear is that ATOLL created a palette of sounds typical of progressive sounds and that aspect makes it an excellent album!

Tertio is their third album from 1977 and is their final great album. With slightly change in musical direction, I mean the compostions are little shorter and straight forward and less adventurous as previous album, but the great moments are all over the release. I like this one equaly with their previous one. Atoll sounds here like a cross between Ange and Edition Speciale, maybe little more towards the second band, with a clear jazzier direction here, but also their symphonic side is present more or less on each tune. The musiciansship is excellent, ecach one shines not else, excellent druming again from Alain Gozzo and some fantastic guitar parts and keyboards. Paris c'est Fini is a great opener, Gae Lowe(Le Duel Part 1 & 2) is another top notch piece, Tunnel part 1 and 2 ends the album in a great manner.. I found Tertio to be a very joyful album with lots of memorable parts, Atoll is still great here, pity their last outstanding album. 4 star album to me.

Atoll was one of the front progressive rock bands from France in the '70s with at least two albums that are considered among the most intresting records from french school L'Araign'e-Mal and Tertio. L'Araign'e-Mal, their second album is their best for many fans and is the peak of the bands career for sure. Going shoulder to shoulder in mid to late '70s with bands as Mona Lisa, Ange , Pulsar or Carpe Diem, Atoll offers dynamic arrangements, complicated passages all into a symphonic prog direction, with a Genesis touch but not copying them at all. Le Photographe Exorciste opens the album in a very strong way, but only after this one are my fav pieces, the instrumental Cazzote wich really smokes remind me a lot of Edition Speciale here, Alain Gozzo is a fantastic drumer and together with Thillot bass this is a killer tune and L'Araign'e-Mal - a very smoth crescendo piece with nice keyboards and thetrical voice something not far from Ange fame. This album stands apart from the pack in those time, is one of the best prog rock albums from mid '70s for sure, I really love it but aswell I like it a lot their next one Tertion. 4 stars to L'Araign'e-Mal

After ''Musiciens-Magiciens'' Luc Serra left Atoll, but the rest of the band immediately found his replacements in the nearby Metz-based band Divodorom, a band which included also future Ange member Jean-Pierre Guichard.Guitarist Christian Beya and violinist Richard Aubert enter the picture in 1974 and the next year comes the ambitious album ''L'araignée-mal'', recorded at Studio Gang in Paris and released on Eurodisc.

The addition of a violin player led Ange to a more complex and a bit jazzier album compared to the debut.Of course the opening ''Le photographe exorciste'' is on par with the previous release, dramatic and spacey Symphonic Rock along the lines of PULSAR with slight KING CRIMSON vibes and over the top vocals.Trough ''Cazotte No.1'' is delivered the more Fusion style of the group, all instrumental violin-driven Prog/Fusion with evident funky rhythmic parts, close to the likes of DIXIE DREGS.''Le voleur d'extase'', which closes the first side of the original LP, is a mix of the two Atoll styles.Very lyrical and atmospheric Progressive Rock supported by extended Fusion instrumental parts with violin on the forefront.Here PINK FLOYD and CLEARLIGHT meet DIXIE DREGS in a quite demanding piece of music.

The second side contains propably the most ambitious track ever written by Atoll, the eponymous 22-min. epic composition, divided into four part.It opens with the smooth and proggy Electric Fusion of ''Imaginez le temps'', featuring plenty of intricate moments, followed by the monumental ''L'araignee-mal'', where a lovely groove is built on Michel Taillet' synths and the great rhythm section, accompanied by Balzer's excellent dramatic, vocal performance.The Fusion side of Atoll returns with ''Les robots debiles'', rich and furious instrumental Prog with few vocals but sharp musicianship based on synths, clavinet and guitars.The closing ''Le cimetiere de plastique'' finds the group in a mood for more spacey, atmospheric textures, followed by a frenetic instrumental theme with angular guitar solos, violins and electric piano.

This is definitely the most demanding work of Atoll.Not entirely consistent, but certainly a very complex album of 70's French Prog with a very eclectic approach.Some of its parts are also trully intricate.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

The album Tertio by the French group Atoll is the most mature album they ever produced. It is classified as symphonic prog at the prog archives website which makes sense in the same way that Yes would be classified as symphonic prog.

There is also a good deal of Zeuhl influence inspiring this record, of particular note is the high pitched falsetto vocals on the album's last track, the fourteen minute "Tunnels," featuring Stella Vander from the French Zeuhl band Magma.

The drummer on this record Alain Gozzo is completely off the charts good and shines on every single track with panache and diversity, as a drummer there are some interesting things happening that are worthy of investigation. The bassist is very much matched with the drummer, the keyboards and guitar are very reminiscent of Yes, and the vocals sung in French are unique and at times theatrical.

The female vocals in this album are a highlight to me and I applaud any band that can compose male female vocal interplay as good as this. Come to mind, is it not interesting that Yes never included female vocals in their music?

The second album from Atoll. And a pretty big break with the debut album too. Chris Beya is in and I refer to the Atoll interview with him for his views on Atoll.

I have now become side tracked so let me get back on track again.

Out is the pure Genesis rip offs and in is a blend of French symph prog (Ange) and Mahavishnu Orchestra'esque like prog rock. There is also some strong King Crimson and Magma elements on this album. The music is complex as in a blend of symph, eclectic and jazz. But there is also some pastoral bits here. The use of violin is a dominant force here. So is the keyboards and there is also some guitars here. The vocals are very good btw.

I would label this album as a symphonic eclectic fusion album. Or as a French prog rock album. The French scene is not like any other scenes and they do their own things. Something I really appreciate. What we ends up with in L'Araignée-Mal is a great album with great songs and musicianship and a lot of intricate details.

L'Araignée-Mal is one of those many great French prog rock albums well worth checking out.

4 stars

Opening as it does with the dark and foreboding Le Photographe Exorciste, dominated by spooky Mellotron and bass, you'd be forgiven for thinking that L'Araignee-Mal ("The Evil Spider") would be an intriguingly original horror-prog album. Sadly, the dark tone is not sustained over the course of the entire album (though some dark Crimsonish guitar sections do creep in here and there), with the titular sidelong epic sounding rather anonymous and pedestrian to my ears - ticking all the symphonic prog boxes without doing anything particularly novel with the format. A competent and well-performed but not spectacular album from this French band - probably the best one I've heard from them so far, though there's really not much to choose between them.