AVANT QU'IL NE SOIT TROP TARD

French theatrical symphonic progrock at its best! This is the best album of this French group and my most favourite from them (i have Le Petit Violon... too). Simply said, i really like this album. It has so much great melodies and catchy vocals, that some are really staying in my head a long time after hearing of this album.

Yes, this is some sort of Genesis influenced progrock, but i think most reviewers are forgeting to add, that this group together with Ange is at least so or much than with Genesis and Gabriel- like singing influenced with French chanson music and their old musical traditions. French are very proud of their country, their culture and their language and we can see it (or hear actually) on these albums. Perhaps for British or American progrock fans are the vocals too theatrical and affected, but this is really French as it can be.

The music on this album is very synth heavy, pompous and often a bit dark too (darker than on their predecessor). I simply like this kind of late 70s tone (a bit different than from early 70s), production and big amount of analogue synths. Sometimes we can find here a nice and melodic guitar solo from Pascal Jordan too, coupled with omnipresent punchy and growling bass. Despite of some musical simplicity, some 70s cliché and perhaps for some proggers rythmical minimalism, the music slowly absorbs you.

My most favourite tracks are first three and the last one. Especially second and third track have really great and interesting vocals like for example on "La Peste" song, where the singer Le Guennec growls some staccato phrases like he was possessed or threatened of something. Really efective... Another interesting moment is the finale of the last and longest song, which ends in sort of avantgarde and electronic way, which could remind you some sort of weird marionette theater. Interesting and fairly original album ending.

The tone on my Japan SHM Belle Antique reissue is lush, colorful and bold. Overall, its great and must have album for all 70s French progrock lovers or for 70s symphonic progrock afficionados too. 4 stars easily...