ECHOES FROM THE PAST

Like another band we'll talk about in a few weeks (with interview) ELOY has a recognizable sound among all and it's a huge advantage for any potential listener. At the beginning of summer 2023, here we are facing the third volume of the trilogy dedicated to the French heroine JEANNE D'ARC de DOMREMY, one of the passions of Frank BORNEMANN, still standing with his seventy-eight springs and we let's see it back at a quality level unimaginable a few years back...

As much as the two previous episodes (2017 and 2019) had left me doubtful and generally disappointed (especially that of 2019) as much this one is of a much better quality without however reaching the heights of the golden age and the sumptuous albums of the German dinosaur from the seventies and eighties. This "Echoes from the Past" is placed under the yoke of Frank's guitars (the inaugural piece among others) despite the omnipresence of Steve MANN the new keyboardist, who had already played with ELOY in the past as an additional musician on several occasions.

The album is obviously conceptual and listening to it in one go is very pleasant, so this time I wouldn't make a notable break between the different tracks. From the half-sung, half-spoken opening of "Conspiracy" which takes us back in time to the Eloyian beauties of "Inside" or "Power and the Passion" to the conclusive, calm and sweet "Farewell" we are faced with a formidable opus concocted by the master of HANOVER.

We find for example in the title track "Echoes from the Past" these angelic female choirs which delighted our ears in "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes" or in "Colours", nothing less, beautiful work, the two keyboardists firing of any wood in this particular piece (the final part of the piece "Danger" is from the same barrel).

"The Pyre" the longest track on the disc is of a rare prettiness, a rare finesse even but I let you judge. Voluntarily or not Frank BORNEMANN had tipped us off with the spelling proximity "Echoes from the Past" = "Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes"?

The question that can bother the listener, are there bad songs on the album? As I'm a historical fan, I'm not the best placed to answer, let's nevertheless mention "Deceptive Glory" and "Fate" a bit lower than the rest of the work but nothing unacceptable. In the satisfécits, let's not forget Klaus Peter MATZIOL (Matzy for those close to him) on concrete bass guitar and his alter ego Stephan EMIG on drums, the pair without whom ELOY would not be ELOY and the sound of ELOY would not be the sound of ELOY.

An unexpected and winning return that feels good, like YES a few weeks ago... the heavyweights of the seventies are still very much alive, let it be said. As far as I'm concerned and to my surprise, will probably be on my 2023 podium....