WATCH FOR THE UMBLES

This is another Northern band who really needs to be considered as a good player on the prog scene. Their name was appealing to me: "Gargamel" is the one of the sorcerer who wants to destroy the Smurfs. This is one of the best known Belgian comics (with another 50 other ones probably). Being a musical desert (or almost), my country (Belgium) still has brought some good stuff to the world (beers, chocolates, and comics).

"Gargamel" plays a complex music (they fully belong to the "Eclectic" definition of prog we all love). There are hardly any compromise featured on their debut. If you are into some Crimsonian oir Graaf mood: no doubt that such an album performed by a fresh band is going to please your senses ("Tics").

Even if weirdness is achieve during "Strayed Again", the harmonious fluting adds on to the balance between a jazzy item and a full prog fantasy. You might know my genuine love for fluting, so there is no way I cannot be enthusiast about this track.

The general mood is quite dark and oppressive during "Below The Water" whose mellotron lines reminds me of some other great Scandinavian bands. It is of course useless to look for accessible music here, but this is valid for all bands from the eclectic category. You need to fully concentrate on the music while listening to such piece of work to grab all of its essence. You'll be fully rewarded.

My fave from this very good album is "Into The Cold". It is indeed somewhat "cold", but this band comes straight from the North, right? Very nice and peaceful flute (again!), heavy keys (à la "No Quarter" from whom you might know) and great sax part fully reminiscent of the sublime Van Der Graaf Generator. It is really a pleasure to listen to such good music (even if not 100% original).

As its title announces, the closing epic "Agitated Mind" is another weird piece of music. Almost as tortured as some great VDGG songs (but not quite yet, the masters remaining the masters), it offers a turbulent ocean of complexity which should enchant the deepest fans of the great band I've just named.

In all, this album is quite a ride and a very good experience. I only hope that their next work would be on par. Four stars for this one.