A TIME BEFORE THIS

Julian's Treatment absorbs all the juiciness, art heaviness, kind craziness and inspirational pleasantness out of the late 60s/early 70s period, to create an album that's stunning as a complex and eurhythmic progressive rock fundamental spice, as a psychedelic (the archaic, bluesy, kaleidoscopic or hard-taunting kinds, it doesn't matter; maybe a bit neurotic as well, though you grow rather reluctant to that impression) adventure, as a hard fantasy and as a gulping powerful, dominating, yet also expressive and passioned music moment. I can't even name it a debut, not only because Julian's Treatment released only two storming and (en)chanting - without being a...(en)chant(ment) - the second being credited as Savarin's, but because it sounds just like taken from the oven, in a hot and strong taste: music with drops of dazzle, rock with hard work and special feelings smoking out of it, plus a sort of eclectic taste that can't stay like that without being called, at least, artistic. Perilously and mystifyingly, that is.

With the above euphoric paragraph concluded, I think we can put a reminder on the fact that this album, as well as Julian's Treatment itself, can't be called an easy thing up in the treasures of progressive rock, but it sure is lovely to discover, out of the depths of the genre. It's considerably far from classic prog rock, though it, complexly, belongs to that authentic time and development. In rest, it doesn't defy in styles, it only focuses on them with a compelling lush. A Time Before This is most likely the best of the two that you can adore, notable being its "Plus Version" re-release in 1990, marking how well, clairvoyant, apart from their time and taste, but also obscure and hard to prefer these guys were - mostly thanks to this epic music-gram.

A Time Before This struggles a bit, being full-bounded and complicated, with its styles and shapes, but pulls in the end a victorious mount. The most living ideas are that J'sT plays psychedelic with spae airs, without fragility and never with absurd spots, plus that it plays an untypical kind of hard prog rock, keen on caramelizing its strong roots rather than jamming with thirst. Despite these already good reflection, there is a crave for many other flavors, the most kicking one being symphonic - in fact, the first "chapter" can be called psych, but the next ones fade in favor of art rock or symphonic fantasy. Was earlier mentioning that the psych can also contour some dark blues, one that's not impressive, but neither wrong. Folk happens to break into more than the "musical story", lovely flutes arousing like jasmine contrasts, a dance occasionally breathing out melancholic emotions. A main thought will also becomes that of A Time Before This being a concept of mystic, fantastic themes, still music turns out greater. Reading that the band is using sci-fi ideas, I like to believe character like "Adia", the "Oracles" or "the Mule" are good for a story-tale or for a mythical expression. Lastly, the musicians of Julian's Treatment are ones you couldn't write enough about - very talented. Savarin seems the prog genius, but for sure Cathy Pruden is a vocalist I truly love.

With all this, A Time Before This sounds of an impeccable creativity. And, given the influences, they're one step close to having originality as well. I guess Earth & Fire, Sandrose or Rare Bird are good/fit analogies, though I've yet to find out how they sound. Pink Floyd and Omega touch some psych spots, but they're absolutely the wrong prog idols to talk about (same with the small folk being Tull-ish, this folk is beyond popular taste). As a strange thought, I hear some ELP twisted fuses and jams - instead, two pieces are convincingly close to Aphrodite's Child and 666's own rock tale, thanks to powerful narration. Ending on the same loose note, I haven't heard such dark-flavored, candle-burning moments of fantasy and improvised poetry (incantations-like) since Os Mundi, which was a long time ago. All the twelve chapters are generous and have craft, they flow intensely, they charm you possessively. It can be a fascinating world, musically adapted, if you like your prog deeper, more reaming, and close to breathless.

Highly recommended.