SCHIZOPHRENIA

1986 --- 2019. No, no don't worry, it's nobody's epitaph!!! These are just the dates of the present musical career of Norbert KRUELER alias SHAMALL as a creator of so-called "progressive" music. Thirty-three years that the guy has been composing his music, and brilliantly! I had already commented on his two previous albums "Turn Off" in 2013 (at the time on progressive-area.com) and "Continuation" in 2016 here. This "Schizophrenia" is SHAMALL's fourteenth disc and it is double; then of course, it is long, very long even, since it reaches one hundred and fifty minutes. And of course I challenge anyone to listen to it attentively in one go. For those who are familiar with the universe of the good man, no surprise Norbert plays SHAMALL, his past as a disc jockey comes out at times in his compositions.

As it is impossible for me to tell you about the twenty-two tracks on the disc, we are therefore going to try to point out the most significant ones, those to listen to in priority, and to all lords all honor with the opening track and eponym "Schizophrenia which approaches nineteen minutes (it will be the longest on the whole double cd, I assure you). There is in this title everything that can please a maniac progster, a constant lyrical progression (yes I know it's boat) with the main melody which develops as it goes. Despite its length, a piece that is easy to listen to without a headache, in short progressive rock as we appreciate it that we can compare to the historical ELOY from "Colours" to "Planets", admit that there is worse like comparison! The following track "Thoughts part one" sails in the same waters while being instrumental; then note the very symphonic "The Inconvenient Truth part one" built on the powerful and slightly abrasive throat of Norbert KRUELER and well ventilated in its finale by the female vocals of Anke ULLRICH which, as we will see, will do much better later.

Then the very twirling instrumental "On The Run" also worthy of the best moments of the ELOY of the golden age (unfortunately Hannes FOLBERTH see Michael GERLACH no longer seem able to offer us this kind of synthesized developments today). The other instrumental placed in eighth position "Yearning Moments" is of the same barrel, just a little calmer in its beginning. Since I spoke to you before about Anke ULLRICH, well here we are in "Supernatural Dream" it is she who brings the song to the top of the bill with her clear, imaged and very powerful solo vocals, a track which also includes sampled saxophone, a brilliant piano solo by Norbert, and then, and then, listen... it bursts everywhere, probably the best track on this first disc. I find myself imagining such a piece with a real rhythmic pair, if you want to clean your speakers now is the time. By extrapolating a little, I would dare to say that this title alone justifies the purchase of the album!!! First cd, seventy-seven minutes and nothing fundamentally bad during all this time, it's already a great achievement.

The first disc ended with nine instrumental minutes, the second disc begins with "World of Emotions" almost twelve instrumental minutes... and this is all the vista and intelligence of SHAMALL, who knowing that his voice n is not its best asset, offers us a number of titles without vocals. We don't know it yet but this opening title will be one of the best on the second cd, to which we will add "The Inconvenient Truth part two" completely reminiscent of the PINK FLOYD declined by Roger WATERS in his solo career, whether for the use of the guitar, keyboards as a sound carpet with various obligatory sound effects and the sumptuous theatrical female choirs of Anke ULLRICH, a real treat lasting nearly nine minutes. "The Shape of Things to Come" is also pleasant while being more conventional, a well- constructed piece, with a six-string that seriously scrapes, and again Anke's choirs in the final part, real SHAMALL!

An Anke that we find as a solo singer in the following piece "We Are All In The Same Boat" that everyone will have easily translated, crossed again by a sampled saxophone, a piece that stands out somewhat from the whole work, very nice. The last piece to report on this second disc will be "Eyes of a Stranger" and its more than seven minutes, deliciously (once again) vocalized by Madame ULLRICH who brings additional momentum to SHAMALL's music at each of her interventions, provided May he keep her by his side for his future achievements