Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ange
Label: Artdisto
Release: 2018
Running time: 67:10
Rating: 4/5
French prog rock heavyweights Ange, led by charismatic singer Christian Decamps, are still remarkably active in the 21st century, unlike most of their contemporaries, even though they’ll soon be celebrating fifty years together. After a pop-rock-tinged creative crisis in the eighties, Ange slowly started picking themselves back up in the nineties and making albums worthy of their name again. In the era that kicked off in 1999, when Christian’s brother Francis on keyboards was replaced by the singer’s son Tristan, they’ve piled up a nice stack of studio and live albums, which have ranged widely in quality.
Since around 2010, though, Ange have been steadily heading back toward the classic sound of the seventies that shaped their best work, like »Au-Dela Du Delire« (1974), »Emile Jacotey« (1975), »Par les fils de Mandrin« (1976) and »Guet-Apens« (1978). Their latest album, »Heureux!«, follows that trend, with just the right mix of dark symphonic prog and occasional avant-garde moments that wowed people in their golden years. As always with Ange, all the lyrics are in French, and anyone who doesn’t speak the language may have a hard time getting to grips with Christian’s often surreal and socially engaged words. But it’s the music and the overall atmosphere that matter most when it comes to enjoying »Heureux!«.
After a relatively slow start with the first two tracks, which are both solid but don’t deliver any big surprises or leave much of a lasting atmospheric mark, things get really interesting on the third piece, »Jour de chance pour un po«. This is where the majestic orchestral curtains, virtuoso guitar passages and tight, disciplined tempo shifts first really come into their own, working together to build an outstanding atmosphere and proving that Ange are still masters of the craft.
Benoit Cazzulini’s jazz-leaning drumming, with its countless fills and disciplined ‘picking’ on the cymbals, is somewhat akin to the approach of original King Crimson drummer Michael Giles, while the keyboard curtains, with Tristan’s extensive use of the mellotron, also often recall that legendary prog rock band. Christian, who plays some keyboards too, still has an eclectic voice despite his respectable age, which lets him slip into all sorts of different ‘roles’, from cabaret performer and village oddball to an almost angelic being. Atmospherically, some of the pieces on »Heureux!« lean a bit toward certain Genesis material from the second half of the seventies and toward early King Crimson.
The peak of »Heureux!« is the seventeen-minute epic »Nancy-jupiter a la nage (Odyssee 14’00)«, which will make fans of classic Ange and ‘old-school’ symphonic prog very happy, with exquisite vocal harmonies, majestic arrangements, complex tempo shifts and interesting guitar passages courtesy of Hassan Hajdi. Here Ange ‘let loose’ in the best possible way and take the listener on an unforgettable atmospheric adventure.
One of France’s oldest and most revered progressive rock bands has pulled off a feat with »Heureux!« that stands up even against their best records from the seventies. »Hereux!« is packed with moments that recall their golden years, and all the arrangements are played with incredible fire and dedication. It seems Ange have discovered the ‘elixir of youth’ in the past few years, and even though they often get overlooked on the prog rock scene, mostly because of the French lyrics, after almost five decades they’re holding up better than many of their contemporaries, and Christian Decamps has already earned his place among the legendary prog rock icons.
Lineup
Christian Décamps – vocals, keyboards
Hassan Hajdi – guitar
Tristan Décamps – keyboards
Thierry Sidhoum – bass guitar
Benoit Cazzulini – drums
Production
Christian Decamps
Track list
1. L’autre est Plus Précieux que le Temps (3:21)
2. Ce que Murmurent les Pierres (5:49)
3. Jour de Chance Pour un Poète en Mal de Rime (8:49)
4. Sens et Jouissance (5:26)
5. Nancy-jupiter à la Nage (Odyssée 14’00) (17:17)
6. À Tort ou à Raison (3:58)
7. Charabia (5:48)
8. Heureux! (3:08)
9. Chante N’Importe Quoi! (Version Longue) (8:42)
10. Chante N’Importe Quoi! (Version Courte) (4:52) (Bonus
