02.06.2008.
Atoll - L'Araignee Mal (1975) (@256)
Request of Anne.
(Review from progarchives.com)
Between the somewhat naive Ange-inspired symphonic pastoral progressive of their debut album and the gradually commercial indulgence from 1977 onwards, Atoll made a French progressive masterpiece with their second album, "L'Araignee-Mal".
The incorporation of a Jean-Luc Ponty school violinist into the band’s line-up and the augmentation of percussive sources into the instrumentation (lead singer Andre Balzer helps at it when not singing) fit the demands of the material perfectly: this is symphonic progressive with a strong jazzy feel added that raises the level of majesty in the band’s overall sound.
The album kicks off with a sinister, solemn number that sets an ambience of mystery and impending tragedy: Balzer’s soliloquy is so typically French in its dramatic flavor, with those guitar phrases and keyboard adornments doing nothing but enhance the track’s spiritual darkness. Quite close to “Larks’ Tongues”-era King Crimson with an extra Floydian element.
From "Cazotte No. 1" onwards the material unabashedly reveals the jazz-tinged renovation that the band set out to provide for their progressive trend. This is an amazing instrumental which is solidly stated on the trend of progressive fusion. The violin almost assumes an undisputed starring role on this one, so Beya must try real hard to allow his guitar be noticeable in the mix. The rhythm section behaves as a solid column for the ensemble sound, while Taillet displays a taste for Corea. As a whole, the track sounds as “Birds of Fire”-meets-“Sound Chaser”.
"Le Voleur d’Extase" starts in a bucolic mood, not languid but clearly serene, in a way leaning closer to the most intimate side of Yes and Genesis. However, it won’t be long before the fusion thing returns with a vengeance, making the song shift into the jazz-rock territory, somewhere between the joyful and the furious.
The album’s second half is occupied by the 4-part namesake suite. Part 1 is pretty much ethereal, with a dense sound that sounds as a hybrid between Pink Floyd and Camel, but not tense or dark, just predominantly serene. Part 2 is based on a recurrent harmonic sequence led by the synth and the electric piano on a 7/8 tempo. Balzer’s singing reaches its peak in this album while the instruments gradually grow stronger and louder in an amalgam that uses repetitiveness as a mesmerizing power. The third section begins when the final synth arpeggios are still to be faded out, with a clavinet that paves the way for an exhibition of space-rock and fusion. Part 4, since it’s the closing one, is in charge of providing the final climax for this epic number. Its bombastic, dramatic aura works perfectly right as a closure – its first 4 minutes find the band concentrating on the symphonic side of things, which they leave behind in favor of the fusion element for the definitive coda.
This edition of the album also includes a live rendition of the instrumental second track as a bonus.
Line-up :
- Richard Aubert / violin
- Andre Balzer / lead vocals, percussion
- Christian Beya / guitar
- Alain Gozzo / drums
- Michel Taillet / keyboards
- Jean Luc Thillot / bass
Track List :
01. Le Photographe Exorciste - 8:16
02. Cazotte No.1 - 6:21
03. Le Voleur D'Extase - 7:33
04. L'Araignee-Mal A) Imaginez Le Temps B) L'Araignee-Mal - 11:54
05. L'Araignee-Mal C) Les Robots Debiles - 3:33
06. L'Araignee-Mal D) Le Cimetiere De Plastique - 6:20
07. Cazotte No.1 (Bonus Live) - 12:00
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