After a very promising first album in 2017 (see here), the French of 'Nine Skies' come back 2 years later with a new studio recording 'Sweethearts Grips' which has been released a few months ago. Surrounded by renowned artists like the keyboardist 'Clive Nolan' (among others 'Arena', 'Pendragon') or the drummer 'Craig Blundell' (among others 'Steven Wilson', 'Lonely Robot', 'Kino'), they tell us the story of a young soldier during the second world war confronted with post-traumatic syndrome. So we embark on more than an hour of sought-after and imaginative progressive rock with a variety between each of the titles which makes it a work to be tamed listening after listening.
After the introduction 'Vestige' which sets the scene with sounds of war and a woman's sobs, we discover the new singer 'Aliénor Favier' who makes a remarkable performance in 'Burn my Brain' which is the first highlight and which unrolls a slow tempo with a beautiful melody in a neo-progressive atmosphere reminiscent of groups like 'Mostly Autumn' or 'Arena', then the calm and acoustic 'Catharsis (Part II)' takes up the atmosphere of 'Catharsis' from first album but in a longer development and with a sung part. Follows 'The Thought Trader' which is certainly one of the most surprising titles with a tormented climate which contains a central atmospheric section 'Floydienne', then 'Alone (Sweetheart Grips Intro)' and 'Sweetheart Grips' constitute the second highlight with everything first the somber and melancholic introduction preparing the long development in several parts with 'Riccardo Romano' which transcends this title by gratifying us with a singing particularly poignant. The second CD begins with 'Somewhere Inside Mankind' with a short vocal part then a long instrumental part which reminds me of 'Pendragon' and in which the saxophone of 'Laurent Benhamou' enchants us at the end of the title in a 'Floydian' atmosphere, then the short 'Fields of Perdition' links an energetic tempo with a calmer central part, and 'Tyrant or Nothing' is an instrumental, semi-acoustic, light and joyful mixing western and oriental tones. We find the singing 'Aliénor Favier' in 'Soldiers of Shame' with melodic lines reminiscent of 'Karnataka', then the instrumentals 'Flowers of Pain' and 'Isolation' close the album with, first of all, an entertaining melody borrowed from classical music and, finally, a melancholic composition, accentuated by the use of strings, and which ends in a worrying atmosphere then with some piano chords.
In summary, the French of 'Nine Skies' released a quality album, typical of a rich and inventive progressive, remaining relatively accessible thanks to catchy melodic lines and, even if the diversity of influences requires some listening to fully enjoy all the richness, 'Sweethearts Grips' is intended for a public follower of progressive rock in the broad sense... | |
