ROUGE CIEL

Debut album from this group fusion all kinds of music, from jazz to classical to rock and more. The quartet veers and meanders between a form of avant-prog and somekind of RIO where Del Fabro's violin play a dominant role, sometimes reminding us of Charles Kaczinsky's contribution to Conventum and some other times like Ponty in his late 70's discography (the second track Fardeaux D'Hier). But the group is also not far away to what Belgian groups Julverne or Louise Avenue do in terms of chamber rock, even if they are much more electrical than those two, and also less dissonant than the early Univers Zero or Art Zoyd.

This album does not give itself easily either, even more so if you are not an expert on this type of music and the rather ugly artwork (looks like medicinal computer images of viruses) does not help either. The spectrum is wide and goes from abstract music Parenthese Hypnotique to mid-tempo Eastern-European semi-jigs (the closing Brivichuse >> WTF??). But before reaching the end of the album, Rouge Ciel (red sky in Anglais) will have taken you through a fascinating trip from jazz-rock reminding you of Reinhardt/Grapelli days (Campagne) through heavy dissonance ala Univers Zoyd (Mathilde) and a lighter one mixed light Can-like Krautrock (the amazing Abricotabricole) to the fascinating Flux D'Energie (intense violin exchanges with a sweet piano) and complete organized chaos (Etude Dissonante).

The only slight remark I will say is that the album is a little unfocused, because a bit wide- spectrum-ed. Outside of that we have a stunning debut album (which will take unfortunately almost four years to follow-up) with no weak tracks, which allows us to think Quebec's second wave of prog (started in the late 90's) is worthy of their late-70's ascendancy.

Modern Rock in Opposition/Progressive Rock band hailing from the city of Montreal, Quebec.Rouge Ciel were an idea of high school friends Guido Del Fabbro and Antonin Provost,who started the band as a duo in 1996.Over the years they expanded the line-up to a sextet,eventually Rouge ciel would end up as a solid quartet with Simon Lapointe on keys/melodica and Nemo Venba on drums and trumpet.Their eponymous ebut was released in 2001 on the Quebecois Monsieur Fauteux M'Entendez-Vous? label.

''Rouge ciel'' is a demanding journey through RIO,improvisational Jazz and Progressive Rock.Highly complicated,the band twists from dissonant parts to groovy passages and even folk touches here and there.Complex interplays are constantly present with violin (fantastic performance by Del Fabbro),trumpets and electric piano leading the way,while there are also plenty of individual solos,even with a heavy use of mandolin.The complex grooves are paused by sudden breaks and the listening becomes sometimes really haunting.Unlike many groups of the style,Rouge Ciel often use dynamic electric guitars to add another dimension to their sound,yet the tracks alternate between acoustic and electric ones.But always there is something to like in each one of them,either the rich grooving parts,the smooth jazzy passages or the earth-shattering interplays.

This is a band to keep an eye on.Some melody around wouldn't hurt,but fans of RIO and the jazzier side of Progressive Rock will find this album particularly challenging but ''Rouge ciel'' comes recommended also for those into adventurous listenings in general.