SUBVERSIA

A very talented keyboardist from Moncton, Canada, born in 1960, Guy LeBlanc has been the leading man of the Progressive Rock group Nathan Mahl for decades.However the late-90's were certainly LeBlanc's most succesful period.After many years of absence Nathan Mahl were back alive and kickin', while he was also invited to join the legends of British Prog Camel.Moreover he prepared and recorded his first solo album ''Subversia'' in 1999, named after his own recording studio, for Mahl Productions, where he sung, programmed the rhythm section parts and played all keyboards.He was helped on guitars by fellow Nathan Mahl bandmates José Bergeron and Mark Spenard along with Finneus Gauge's Scott McGill, while a couple of sax passages are performed by Paul Desgagne.

The album follows more or less the basics of NATHAN MAHL's early albums and has this lovely US Symphonic/Fusion sound akin to KURT ROGNEY, TONY SPADA, MIND GALLERY or even HAPPY THE MAN.Imagine a versatile and flexible keyboard delivery ala PETER BARDENS/KIT WATKINS with beautiful organs, synths, piano and even clavinet exercises blended with the tremendous guitar chops and solos of Scott McGill/Mark Spenard, containing both virtuosic and melodic moments, in the vein of ALAN HOLDSWORTH.''Subversia'' holds an amazing balance between tight melodic textures and more loose and technical offerings, ready to satify a wide range of Prog fans.What really surprises is the far from self-indulgent performance of LeBlanc, despite the album being credited to his name.All his keyboard parts are carefully measured and the more excessive of his performances are limited to zero.The album even contains the great eponymous 30-min. epic composition as an amalgam of all of the aforementioned inspirations.Solid Symphonic/Fusion with sharp synthesizers and organs, plenty of breaks, time signatures and series of beautiful guitar moves.What prevents the album from being outstanding is the plastic-sounding drum machines and a couple of shorter tunes like the uninteresting Avant-Garde cut ''The cold truth'' or the rather cheesy rocker ''The trial''.

Very good album, that reflects succesfully LeBlanc's prolific and highly inspiring period.Great addition for all Prog fans' collection, even if some flaws are a bit evident.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.