ZEPTO

It is really something when a modern progressive rock band succeeds in charting new territory, retaining what they are without staying tied to what they were. Frenchmen NeBeLNeST have been raising eyebrows and ruffling feathers since their debut in 1999, and shook the prog rock tree again in 2002 with the the raw and rude follow-up 'NoVa eXPReSS', a rumbling wave of heavy post-punk symphonism done with a French sense of panache that made their music refreshing but not at all pompous.

In this third release, a group is heard that has matured, wanting to stretch out and make a music that surprises with every new turn, spewing frantic changes in a stew that toils in trouble and jazzy escapades without losing itself. The compositions are exacting but don't sacrifice immediacy and the result is something startling in its newness, rolling around in the organic side of prog, the entrails of a living thing and the pain of being born.

The record has more keyboard sounds on it than 'NoVa eXPReSS' and at times evokes jazz fusion, though no fusion ever sounded quite this way. Drummer Michael Anselmi, bassist Gregory Tejedor, keyboardist Oliver Tejedor, two guitar players and a clarinet have created something less abrasive and more interesting than NeBeLNeST's previous efforts, layered and smooth, like a good aged brandy. Rock n' roll libertines of the finest kind, this band just can't seem to hit a bad chord and embrace a free spirit of madness, new excitement and the joy of music. Recommended with vigor.