VALLEY OF THE KINGS

Hipgnosis is this group founded in 2004 tinged with Floydian sounds at the start. In 2011 'Relusion' was released on a neo prog planing base, on the border between Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream, a little post and with a superb feminine voice. This 3rd album is a double, including a single track on the second, recounting the full life of a man like a musical theater play. This is also the first time that the musicians have revealed their names, so I can say that Anna has a very beautiful voice enveloped in electronic sounds and various keys and a violin piloted by Ewa; the growls are not from Donald Cardwell but from the bassist's son.

"Macbeth" begins the album, the only track played before pandemic for a symphonic entry, a melting pot between advanced new age and dance breaks, yes you read that right; the synths give their touches, Anna des Albion her organ and a final on the 'Ushuaia' to show the diversity. Love 'for a short, sung, rhythmic piece, giving space to synths and metronomic drums. 'Hyde Park' on a latent track, an atmospheric ballad at the beginning that will start with Schulze sounds and then a Peter Gabriel finale where gripping percussions combine with a squirting guitar. "Puls Life" on a Tangerine Dream base, an atmosphere of the 70s merging synths and bringing on Schulze, a more revival track. 'Heavy' on Look for the Boy 'just for the key, plus prog on On The Run' by Pink Floyd; we approach the dark wave, a sound that leads to trance; 3 minutes and Anna finally appears her voice, beautiful, a bit on Lisa Gerrard, that's telling you the tone, the vibrations! A brutal finale with percussions, synths coming out all over the place. "Depart Like A Tree" and a soaring intro, male voice, come on we rock to a tune Peter Gabriel could have created; Anna then comes to push the song on an air of musical comedy, cabaret genre, the most pop title in the end; Anna then returns as a liberator for this swing ballad.

'Traveler Part 1' and the return to the electronic / psychedelic atmosphere, a bit on Quantum Fantay and of course the fathers Ozric Tentacles, a bit new age / dark age for this long sequel which finally deposits and descales. The ardor of the record and its dark, lugubrious side engages in the 2nd part on the same tune "Traveler Part 2", well there it is "Atem", "Zeit", "Black Dance", oppressive and regressive atmosphere; 30 minutes to donf for a hypnosis without drugs, without suspect spirits, those which make you see the purple night; a cacophony orchestrated on a long explosive crescendo by the contribution of the drums; the last quarter of an hour with that ultimate break, soaring where Anna's voice is magnified; a sort of mantra of the new millennium, where Schulze recalls his association with Lisa Gerrard, here it is Anna who orchestrates and melts the most recalcitrant of you.

Hipgnosis continues its slow definition of cosmic, electronic rock and religious limit with their latest avant-garde opus. Slawek took 10 years to release this long, dark, bewitching and symphonic opus; 10 years to take you to scorched lands where every sound can no longer be stopped, an album without concession where you have to be able to still love traveling for a long time.