MIRAGE

Not among the most prolific bands of the world, Sarcasme have though a respectable history, starting with their formation back in 1998 in the city of Gleize near Lyon by brothers David and Guillaume Thomas, both on vocals and guitars.The line-up was completed with Marlene Bouchisse on vocals/flute, Romain Silva on drums and Julien Gerry on bass.By mid-00's they had signed a very good contact with Musea Records and in 2006 they released their debut ''Mirage'' on Musea's branch label Musea Parallele.

Sarcasme played a trully eclectic Prog Rock on their debut with similarities to groups like ECLAT, AME SON, PHAESIS or MONA LISA, twisting from flute-driven Progressive Rock to guitar-based instrumentals and heavier and more psychedelic explorations.Their music is always supported by dreamy, ethereal French lyrics.Despite some more powerful guitar moves, the overall style is quite balanced with an emphasis on light interplays and atmospheric soundscapes, characterized by the edgy guitar solos, the calm flute interludes and its hypnotic lines with the great vocals.Flute and guitar battles are all over the place, while the more mellow guitar parts have a slightly jazzy feeling.''Mirage'' won't ever win a prize for its technical consistency, but on the other hand all songs contain a fair amount of variations with an impressive lyricism and a great tendency towards constantly changing moods.A couple of tracks, which feature also David Thomas' clarinet, have a weak VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR tone, showing another different aspect of Sarcasme's talent.

A pretty nice album indeed, especially for all fans of French Progressive Rock.But, as being poetic, intricate and deeply atmospheric, 'Mirage'' contains plenty of well-composed material to satisfy every prog listener.Warmly recommended.