HEART OF DARKNESS

The continuation of a long journey in the heart of a musical empire at the crossroads of tortured introspection and spiritual fulfillment. The eponymous title, opening the album, is perfectly timed: the vaguely tribal percussions give rhythm to a strange tempo dance, in which the flute, the rock guitar, the synth layers cross, question each other, measure each other, under the celestial judgment of Rick's vocal. To establish and succeed such a structure in hardly more than 6 minutes, it is a challenge. "Blood of the Rose" continues a certain dreamlike paradigm instilled by the flute melody, but on a much more aerial global tone, carried by a floydian and noticeably atmospheric guitar; we go from darkness to reverie, or almost. This is what can sometimes confuse with Rick Miller (or on the contrary, force the admiration): his music installs us in an atmosphere to extract us almost immediately, but with a surprising tonal continuity. The same logic is applied with the next track, "Castle Walls", which breaks the musical structure once again and opens a boulevard towards an emotional emphasis between melancholic oath and spiritual appeasement - with a bright melody that imposes itself to the ear, carried by the vocals and magnified by the choirs. But the masterpiece of the album is indeed "The Dark Lady": it is a concentrate of Rick Miller's know-how, a real slap in the face which is not the least surprising paradox when you know by heart the recipes he has been applying for at least 10 years. The first half is pure artist: everything is there, favorite instrumentation, cavernous vocals, rhythm breaks, diluvian guitars and promises of the end of the world. The second half is no less 'Gilmourian', but with a charge of heavy cavalry and space rock that we don't know with the Floyds. The bass is demonic, and a synthetic deluge from another world suddenly paralyzes your senses, before fading away once in unexplored limbo, to come back in force afterwards; classic conclusion taking back the theme of the beginning. But what a power! Out of the ordinary. To be discovered without delay for the followers of Gilmour's Floyd. A music both very inspired by the great standards of the post-rock of the 90s, and in a way unique in its kind. For me, to be ranked among the 5 best of Rick to date, including 'Dreamtigers', 'Angel of my Soul', 'Dark Dreams' and 'Unstuck in Time'.