PANGÉE

Well intended - rather amateurish.

This band definitely shows where their collective preferences lay and that's quite admirable. Trouble is that they've rushed into recording prematurely. At least by a couple of years.

Endless Fripp-like tuning and plucking of the guitar does not suffice in place of Fripp's abilities. A commendable, but premature effort is the end result. Pretty much the same for the keyboard player who has difficulties with separating from "bridging", a technique usually taught between the second and fourth piano lessons for beginners. He keeps doing it until he reaches the end of the keyboard. That's not improvisation in my books.

The works have a somewhat jazzy approach and I do respect that. Nevertheless, the whole concept just doesn't work out, primarily due to lack of experience, not unlike of a garage band

Had these cats had been more patient, less overzealous and kept practicing and refining their possible abilities, this album released somewhat later could have been a great one.

As it is, I am struggling to perceive it even as good as it is more disappointing than pleasing. It's highly unlikely that a second spin will result here, owing to that. With some generosity, 3 small stars.

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PANGEE were a band out of Quebec who released this one album in 1995. The attraction for me was all the KING CRIMSON and ANEKDOTEN comparisons, but while the angular guitar does bring those bands to mind i'm surprised at how original these guys sound. We get three long instrumental tacks where the band can really stretch out but if I have one complaint it's that it could have been more dynamic, although I found that if I played it really loud the dynamics are right on. As Hugues states this is rather "sober" sounding.

"Quartus Frenesis" is the over 19 1/2 minute opener. Spacey synths to open remind me of seventies RUSH who i'm sure were an influence. A change before 2 minutes as we get some intricate guitar with a beat. Some angular guitar lines follow. A calm before 5 1/2 minutes. Synths, bass and a beat rise out of this and build. Cool sounding percussion before 11 minutes. A change follows as drums, bass and synths take over. It settles back around 14 minutes then kicks back in at 18 minutes.

"Cataracte" opens with angular guitar, drums and bass. Excellent sound here. The organ floats in then starts to pulsate. The sounds become more intricate and lighter after 3 minutes then a minute later it's GENESIS-like as keys come in. Violin after 6 1/2 minutes as the mood changes. Intricate guitar sounds then follow. The tempo picks up before 10 minutes with some chunky bass. "Le Sanctuaire D'euterpe" opens with drums followed by guitar and organ. It sounds like mellotron or strings 1 1/2 minutes in.The drums are impressive. A change 4 minutes in as it settles to a dark mood while the guitar echoes. It kicks back in around 7 1/2 minutes. Synths follow then it settles back again. It picks back up and marching styled drums come in around 11 minutes. Violin follows. It builds to an intense sound before 13 minutes then the guitar joins in as drums pound. It then settles back with mellotron-like sounds and organ.

A gem from nineties Quebec and easily 4 stars.

Here's one that could very well rival Anglagard's _Epilog_. Relatively hard to find now, but the 20 minute _Quartus Frénésis_ is certainly one of the highlights of the '90s prog. scene and definitely a Canadian prog.rock masterpiece on par with anything from Rush, FM, Max Webster and Maneige. Entirely instrumental, it basically features everything one would like about the French scene from the mid to late '70s such as bands like Arachnoid, Carpe Diem, Asia Minor and Pulsar. Maybe throw in a little Univers Zero too. The rest of the album doesn't quite measure up to _Quartus Frénésis_ sounding very much like Robert Fripp's band SUNDAY ALL OVER THE WORLD out of 1991(but only instrumentally). 5 star rating for _Quartus Frénésis_, 3 stars for _Cataracte_ where there's an obvious edit that bugs me to no end and 4 stars for the final track _Le Sanctuaire D'Euterpe_. Look for it on Ebay or hopefully a re-issue is in order.

Funny annecdote : in high school in Toronto , there was a Bergeron (Paul ), a Nadeau (Sandra ) , a Roy (Arthur, not Max) , a Gateau (francois) and a Bilodeau ( Lucie) and they were all in my grade.

As James said above KC and Anekdoten for the influences on this album , I would like to point out some bands that probably listeneed to this one a lot before doing their music : Nebelnest and Priam (both French bands from the late 90's) and also Djam Karet in their last two albums. As James describe well their music , I would like to point out the concept of this album and the factthat both of those French bands did also inspire themselves from this one. This album although entirely instrumental gives a cool sountrack to the origins of our planet and the tectonic plates clashing between themselves ( Pangée or Pangea is the name of the American plate leaving Gondwanna - the Afro-Asian-European plateau - and the title points out towards the World hymn and the whole shabam of the Mythology , ancient and more recent. Quite a program , you see.... And they do a fair enough job , but the instruments used could've been joined by more eclectic ones , such as a didgeridoo and a bow to a double bass , bells and other percussion , and other wind instruments. Yes the only critic I might have on this album , is that they might have stayed too wise and sober but this was a debut , but wathever happened to them ? It has been 8 years now.

Here is one of those "Blow Your Lips Off" progressive rock gems. PANGÉE are a Canadian 5 piece instrumental progressive rock outfit which play in the territory of KING CRIMSON and ANEKDOTEN. Monster progressive jams which combine amazing bass/keyboard interplay in a heavy mellotron filled environment. Drums are nice and complex and really fit this music to perfection. Guitars playing is very sophisticated and at times remind me of the fret work of Mr. FRIPP. "Hymnemonde" is essentially 3 long epic tracks which are given lots of space to develop many truely progressive moments. This is one CD which must be in all prog lovers collection and yet is not really all that well known for some reason.