DEMAIN A L'AUBE

An artist who was heretofore unknown to me but feels to come straight out of the modern French prog traditions set forth by bands like NEMO, MYSTERY (I know: their French Canadian), LAZULI, SYLVAN (German), with a little debt owed to STEVEN WILSON as well.

1. "1939" (3:01) a wonderful, beautifully-composed and -rendered classically-imbued symphonic opener. (9.5/10)

2. "Les ennemis d'hier" (4:33) powerful prog that sounds like a combination of LAZULI, NEMO, and a pinch of the Maurin brothers. (8.875/10)

3. "La bataille de l'Ebre Pt. 1" (5:22) great opening that turns ALCESTian but then more NEMO or RIVERSIDE. Too bad it's all within the confines of a tightly proscribed ascending chord progression (though, thankfully, not the "chorus" section). (8.75/10)

4. "La bataille de l'Ebre Pt. 2" (10:41) the careful, almost meticulous two-minute mathematical piano and vocal intro unleashes a heavily-power-chord-accented piano concerto until 4:25 when everybody backs off in lieu of some romantic piano chords backing Gérald's lead guitar soloing. "Piano virtuoso" Gionatan Carradona's sound and performance are captured quite well. In the middle of the seventh minute the music turns piano-less with some drum and bass supporting Gérald's vocal before his electric guitar's power chords resume and some "strings" enter to support some more guitar and then piano soloing. (18/20)

5. "Les trains d'ombres" (5:51) a song that plods along like so many of the NEMO songs that I used to tire of. The musicianship is fine, the sound palette a little abrasive, but the song lacks the "warmth" and inviting space for engagement--the walls of sound almost pushing me back and away. (8.6667/10)

6. "Une colline sans nom" (14:32) interesting start with a rhythm track that wants to suck you in but then the barrage of guitars and synths (especially after the first 90-seconds). I never expected this long song to be an instrumental, but the first half contains absolutely no lyrics much less singing! There is some fine prog rock here--quite dynamic with lots of twists and turns--including the one at 8:45 which turns into an classical acoustic guitar-based motif with synth "strings" washes for accompaniment and human whistling serving as the lead melody maker until 10:15 when the full band kicks back in and Nicolas Garcdel's synths take over. The Paul SPEER-like guitar returns at 11:25 to carry the main melody forward (almost ad nauseum) for a full two-minutes before he unleashes an impressive solo in the fourteenth minute, taking us right to the end of the song. Quite a solid, interesting, and entertaining song. (27/30)

7. "L'encre des maux" (4:46) a steel-stringed acoustic guitar strumming along with Gérald's vocal. It sounds a bit like a cross between TOM PETTY, DAVID BOWIE, and LOVE AND ROCKETS. (8.875/10)

8. "Demain à l'aube" (13:39) opens with 2:25 of some very pensive cinematic chamber music that has cello and piano in the fore while well-rendered synth "strings" accompany from behind. Then we're left with piano accompanying Gérald in a wonderful vocal performance: using a frail, fragile voice to slowly, very deliberately deliver a MARCO GLÜHMANN-like melody and sound. At 4:45 the fully "orchestrated" band steps up to back and then take over the music. Okay, so Gérald finally softens and changes the sound of his electric guitar's power chords (something I've been hoping/longing for since the second song). At 6:30 the music takes a turn down a more dynamic country road in which Hammond organ and guitar weave in and around each other without either really claiming the lead: both contributing detailed, precision-based playing before a synth comes in to join their weave. In the ninth minute everybody congeals into a more even-keeled, standard-tempoed motif for Gérald to return to singing (even multi- tracking his voice for some b vox). This is the first time on this album that I've been truly reminded of the classic prog band ANGE that several other reviewers seem to hear in Gérald's music. Swirling Hammond chords and angular guitar riffs next help to bridge the way to a powerful DAVID GILMOUR-like motif that starts at 10:25. This will be prog heaven for most progheads! Especially when he triples his speed in thirteenth minute. The music then devolves into a cello-led revisitation to the opening soundscape for the final 30-seconds. This is probably the best song on the album-- definitely the best epic. (28/30)

9. "Les passagers du vent" (5:14) strummed acoustic guitar, piano chords, and Gérald singing. In the third minute a multi-track vocal chorus leads into a STEVEN WILSON-like instrumental passage that unleashes another nice Gérald Massois electric guitar solo starting at 3:30--one that plays out through a long fade out to the song's end. (9/10)

Total Time: 66:39

Great sound applied to some very nice if-sometimes defined and confining compositions. I wish Gérald's power chords had used some variation in both sounds and volume but they always seem to be the exact same in every song. Also, Maxx Gillard's proficient drum performance is weakened to my ears/brain from it's high-pitched "plastic" reverb/echo sound and slightly-high volume. I guess I kept hoping for some looser, more-spacious and not so contrived and controlled feeling in the music. The symphonic aspect of Gérald's compositions are wonderful; it's the almost-suffocating lack of room for improvisation and spontaneity that makes me squirm a little uncomfortably.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of modern progressive rock of the heavy-symphonic kind (think of MYSTERY or SYLVAN). Highly recommended to all those prog lovers who prefer their music a little heavier and emotional.

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