HALLOWEEN: Psy-ko (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Halloween, a French progressive rock band that emerged at the dawn of the 1980's, released no less than five albums in fifteen years before taking a break shortly after the start of the new millennium. But in 2020, with the pandemic, another virus - that of progressive rock - took over, and the machine was relaunched, culminating in the year 2025 with the release of “Psy-Ko”, a title the band justifies by saying “because the personas that populate the songs are rather disturbed from a Psy point of view, perhaps as much so as the musicians in the band”.

Having said that, let's move on to the music, which is, to say the least, incredibly rich and progressive in every sense of the word. Eight long convoluted compositions for almost 75 minutes of music, during which the instrumentalists take us on a journey where progressive, jazz-prog, fusion and even neo-prog intertwine in certain passages, forming a whole that will be difficult to assimilate in just a few listens.

'Transe' quickly builds up the tension, with its rhythmic breaks, off-beat drums and mood swings, not forgetting the jazz club atmosphere in the middle of the track. 'Crise de Foi' also unfurls an eerie ambience, driven by the perfect marriage of bass and keyboards, and a strong presence of violin, which is repeated several times on the other tracks.

Another example of the incredible breadth of Halloween's sonic universe comes in the form of 'Nostalgia', an epic track in which the band makes a series of breaks, moving from a tortured, zappa-like first few minutes to Tangerine Dream-style ambient, and ending with a symphonic finale that concludes beautifully with a part combining violin and 12-string guitar. The final track, 'Igor S.', is no exception to this “rule”: after an a cappella opening with vocals doubled in thirds, as Malicorne once did, the track gradually builds in power, before dropping gently and ending ... brutally.

How can we not mention Géraldine Le Coq's singular vocals? In all honesty, it can act as a deterrent, not understanding a word of the lyrics, even though they are sung in French. And then, over the course of several listens, it turns out to be completely inseparable from the band's sound palette, just like the other instruments. As for the content of the lyrics, you'll have to come up with your own interpretation, because, as the band points out on its website, “Beware, second degree is sometimes required”.

A band that has long since fallen off the radar, Halloween is back in force with an album that will leave no one indifferent. Not necessarily easy to get into, it nevertheless reveals all its richness over the course of repeated listens, which will keep progressive fans coming back for more.
- Official website

HALLOWEEN

PSY-KO

MUSEA

PROGRESSIVE ROCK