LAZ

The French symphonic-weird, highly creative HALLOWEEN dares to output in 1989 powerful awesome musical ideas and vocals with "Laz". Maybe for PULSAR, VDGG, or KC fans, the inventiveness can be better enjoyed (and by prog heads that do not believe "it was impossible to release outstanding prog in the eighties").

Gile Coppin (sinth and vocals) and Brun (violin, guitar and vocals) compositions borrowed to the lyrics H. P. Lovecraft weird fiction poems. Maybe because of this mood, "Laz" can annoy some. As their debut album gets good rating, I can only say I like very much BOTH HALLOWEEN first albums. But the 3rd "Merlin" (**) is missing links. I agree with Fishy review when he says "Laz" " turned out to be a far more ambitious project than the debut album."

If you consider "Laz" lyrics kind of trash horror bizarre comedy, you may not creep. As I'm not English speaker, I can focus on the music. To me this is a prog dream album, "Iron Mickey" is an incredible instrumental composition; "Waltz" and "Laz" are superb. I remember I was present at by 1991 in a reunion with about 10 progheads to enjoy some music, where these tracks (plus EZRA WINSTON "ancient afternoons"- 1990 *****) were played and some guys got desperate wanting to know what incredible band were playing ?!

"Blue Nightmare" shows a more experimental with virtuoso drums by Di Faostino. The "just for you" shows that Honoré is a tremendous bass player (fretless). The bonus "suburb" is at 1st album vein with theatrical French lyrics and "Yule Horror" is the only track that remind an horror soundtrack. The keyboards work are great to create atmospheres and walls to the incredible violin solos. My only critic is that I miss more killer synth solos like the one in "laz" track.

If you like or is curious about Halloween (or even if you don't), Ezra Winston, Kerrs Pink, Rousseau, North Star, Vermilion Sands, these bands composed especially for "Seven Days of a Life" MUSEA team concept CD : the cycle of the journey through Life. The result is GREAT, believe this cosmopolitan project woks ! "Seven Days of a Life" is a ****1/2;1993 CD with only unpublished material, except the SAGRADO "the central sun of universe" which was also composed to this CD, but due to long delay was allowed to appears at SAGRADO 1991 3rd CD (the project idea was old but only saw the light of day in 1993) . The Halloween contribution for this concept is called "march" and runs 9:30. Please, take a look at my "Seven Days of a Life" review.