EYE 2 EYE: Lost Horizon (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

What if Eye 2 Eye was ultimately the best-kept secret in French progressive rock? For 25 years now, the adventure, which began in the late 1990s with drummer Didier Pegues and keyboardist Philippe Benabes, has been producing albums whose richness is widely recognized, without causing much of a stir (but perhaps that's a common trait in our beautiful country). Admittedly, the band does not perform live, admittedly its output is not prolific, admittedly the resources employed have not always matched the talent for composition, but “Nowhere Highway” clearly raised the bar in terms of production quality. And what better way to continue the ascent with this new album than to entrust the vocal reins to Welshman Paul Tilley, whose expressiveness works wonders throughout this opus entitled “Lost Horizon”?

After an introduction set against a backdrop of Gregorian chants, a heavy bass riff supported by furious rhythms launches the hostilities of “Garden of Eden.” The atmosphere is dark, very dark, metal is not far away, the choirs become disturbing, the keyboards turn to brass, before an enchanted interlude where the violin, acoustic guitar, and female choirs bring a moment of gentleness, punctuated by a heart-wrenching guitar solo. But these moments of calm only serve to herald a new rhythmic deluge, driven by an omnipresent Hammond organ that carries the listener through to the end of these 10 totally intense minutes.

In a much calmer and more accessible mode, “The Letter” brings Eye 2 Eye back to territory that is a little more familiar to listeners accustomed to their productions, before “Meadows of Silence” takes up the torch for 12 minutes of totally exciting progressive rock. A huge bass lays the foundation for a new epic, during which variations in tempo and mood allow the band to distill all facets of their compositional and interpretive talent. Once again, the atmosphere is not very cheerful, and could even serve as the soundtrack to the battles in “The Lord of the Rings”! And in this generalized minor mode, the music becomes increasingly expressive, as demonstrated in particular in the middle of the track by a poignant guitar solo set against a chromatic rise of keyboards and bass arpeggios.

The title track, divided into three parts, drives the point home with its 22 minutes, with a somewhat softened tone, at times reminiscent of IQ during the second, entirely instrumental part, which also gives pride of place to the piano and strings (violin/cello), while Bruno Pegues occasionally follows in the footsteps of David Gilmour. A few tics nevertheless mar this beautiful harmony (the totally annoying double vocals at the end of phrases in the first part, or a few voices that are a little too forced), but nothing that prevents you from enjoying this universe to the full, which is once again rounded off by a multifaceted third part, beginning and ending with a ternary melody but featuring a central bridge that is once again ultra-dynamic, sure to get heads nodding to the beautiful rhythmic variations.

With a production that matches their talent for performance and composition, the Eye 2 Eye quartet clearly breaks away from the traditional codes of neo-progressive rock (a label that no longer applies to them), and has produced an album that should, and must, arouse the keen interest of all progressive rock fans. - Official website

EYE 2 EYE

LOST HORIZON

PROGRESSIVE PROMOTION

PROGRESSIVE ROCK