LE ROI DU MONDE

Runaway Totem returns with their 8th album. An album that has raised some eyebrows among prog rock fans (thank you, Progstreaming).

Listed as a zeuhl band, Runaway Totem has really never followed the script. Music wise, they have been everywhere and that includes a dip into the Rock Progressivo Italiano genre on Andromeda, their best album so far. That is, until this album was unleashed.

The cover art work is brilliant, btw. Something fit for a wall. I just wanted to mention this before I open the CD and goes to the music.

The album starts with the half an hour long epic Il Giardino del Nocciolo e del Melograno. A very slow start on this epic before a staight zeuhl piece with chanting like Magma vocals takes over. But the best piece here kicks in after twenty minutes after the chanting is over. A truly great symphonic prog piece which ends this epic. Il Giardino del Nocciolo e del Melograno is a truly brilliant epic and worthy the whole purchase price. Can it be bettered ? That is just what the Rock Progressivo Italiano and Avant Garde six minutes long song Le Mariage du Soleil et la Lune does. This song is like a meeting between Univers Zero and Premiata Forneria Marconi. The album ends with the half an hour long La Città azzurra del Sole. A piece of music which combines a bit fusion and avant garde. I am not entirely into this piece yet, but I still think it is great.

I seriously suspect that Runaway Totem has released a classic album in this genre. It is strictly speaking not a zeuhl album though if Magma is the standard here. I would rather label it a neo-zeuhl album where the envelope is pushed in all direction. In this respect, this is a zeuhl album and one of the best one you can find.

A modern classic and probably a genre defining album is what Le Roi du Monde will turn out to be, I believe. And it is an album those of you sniffing around the zeuhl genre could pick up without any fear of wasting your money. A new standard has been set.

5 stars