HEUREUX !

Year after year, decade after decade Ange remains Ange. Times change, but the protagonists of French prog scene are still on the road - and still unique. Their new studio album seems to have been conceived and done under the tag 'no more time to waste'. Indeed, they wasted a lot of time during their 50-year history. Their milestones are the early glorious 'theatric progressive' era from Caricatures to Guet-Apens, then Seve Qui Peut, then Le Bois Travaille, Meme Le Dimanche. This is the classics of French prog, a bunch of masterpieces. But what was between? The fruitless rocky/poppy 1980s period from Vu D'Un Chien to Tout Feu Tout Flamme, then 1990s-2000s albums, all of interest but... of moderate interest, let's say. And finally, the current era started with brilliant Le Bois Travaille, Meme Le Dimanche, continued with less impressive but still excellent Moyen-Age - and now, with Heureux!, their brand new studio release. It was evidently made 1970s-like on purpose, it's clearly seen... sorry, clearly heard in the music. But the album is not similar to the band's 1970s releases. It's as excellent (if not better) as, for example, Au-Dela Du Delire or Par Les Fils De Mandrin, but musically far from both. It develops the tendencies started with Le Bois Travaille, Meme Le Dimanche, but also brings new ideas, so in total Heureux! is rather revelation than reminiscence. Almost every track is a highlight. (I'd say especially Nancy- Jupiter..., but maybe it's just due to my personal addiction to epic suites?) Echo from 1970s - and new musical horizons for the band at the same time. Everything sounds classic - and everything is new, fresh, innovative, inventive, explorative... and substantial. Even a risky musical experiment from Ange quickly becomes a model to follow, Christian Decamps and his colleagues know very well how to do this. Looks like the period started in 2010 in the band's life is even more interesting than expected.

Ange is a historical French rock band from France. It was founded in Belfort, France in 1969 and has been very active. With this new "Heureux!", Ange has released eight Album Their music I personally think that in addition to the symphony, the most special is the drama tension and the dark atmosphere like KC, and my favorite album is "Guet-Apens" released in 1978, not so much like Genesis Say they are like KC, in creating a dark and desperate but beautiful atmosphere. Of course, French is indeed very suitable for singing drama, it sounds weird and full of turning point. It can be said that although in the beginning they were dedicated to the symphonic avant-garde, but then gradually opened up many areas, the band is full of extraordinary creativity and exploration. The new album is a grand musical adventure, opening the theatrical style and symphony integration, and they can clearly feel more "rock" (strong bass), it is not surprising that they had a very Psychedelic and hard rock. Maybe because Zeuhl is played a lot by the French front rock band, I can feel some of Zeuhl's flavors, weird, exaggerated, humorous, repetitive bass and piano marches in the music, but it's clear that Ange is a bit more polished thanks to them There is a very small fresh melody, yes, their ballad orientation is also obvious. Therefore, I think they are essentially a symphonic orchestral eclectic band. The 17-minute epic "Nancy-Jupiter À La Nage (Odyssée 14'00)" was a mysterious narration at the beginning, but it suddenly caught off a cheerful orgasm and ended up in their old line - field. The last one called their style of fusion, it is no wonder made a long one short two versions. The new artillery is still good old, you can play a solid four-star recommendation!

ANGE is the most famous and controversial French band of the last 50 years... From memory I quote its founding 'father' Christian who continues the epic after the split with his brother Francis by saying all cheerfully... Ange is the best band in the world to have gone unnoticed, in short! It is the embodiment of what can be done better in terms of progressive rock, a waste for our country living superficially, backwards with feelings of nonsense! (I heard "Ces gens-là" for the first time on the radio, however, at a time when reason still existed, wonderful composition and recovery of a great man of French music, but I digress!). In short, ANGE released a good album last year and it was a column for our friends from Quebec that I had done from memory, they who love speaking French. So let's dive into these 67' disparate tracks: "L'autre est plus précieuses que le temps" tries its hand at a potential radio hit, at a time when it was still possible, giving its all live on the A of Father DÉCAMPS' voice.

"Ce que murmurent les pierres" starts with a "crooner" song à la Michel JONASZ, a beautiful consensual ballad. Then comes one of the 2 bombs of the CD "Jour de chance pour un poète en mal de rimes" and its title of almost 9 minutes, alternating enjoyable solos at the beginning and end with the great guitarist Hassan and soaring moments in between; we are in a master piece quite simply, in any case the best piece for your servant! Oh yes I haven't dissected this piece I'll just let you take my word for it "Sens et jouissances", a small variation of sometimes bawdy words, a part of the universe of ANGE with words in the form of musical notes. "Nancy-jupiter à la nage" arrives with a repeat of "Si j'étais le messie" and "Capitaine c?ur de miel", nothing less! Inside, we find stone sounds from Fabrice BONY, breathtaking solos from Hassan, a typically prog atmosphere with breaks, ambiances, moments of serenity; it's a bit of a mishmash with an obvious desire to please, to make us dream again of the angelic progressive world. The titles "à tort ou à raison" and "heureux!" will suffer a little from the lesser intensity, especially based on the words of father DÉCAMPS, while for "Charabia" a bluesy air emerges; the alternation of old airs with other modern ones which sometimes clash roughly. "Chante n'importe quoi" is disturbing on the first listen, allowing you to thumb your nose at what is often played on French radio stations, well, I was just talking about it in the preamble; lyrics to piss in a violin, oh my, Father Décamps really hates this overrated world... That was in 2018, so imagine today in 2024 with the world even crazier!! A stage title with the endless cover of Tristan's almost ambient keyboards... Here's a return to the last album.