VITAL DUO

If you call this something like Medieval Prog it's fine, the Payssan brothers just prooved how diverse they were, taking MINIMUM VITAL's follkier parts and pronouncing them with the dominant use of keyboards and acoustic instruments.Medieval-styled tunes, performed through keyboards and strings, supported by some great choir parts, and a pallette of flexible moods, depending on the electroacoustic and keyboard instrumentals.All these lost-in-time atmospheres come in evidence through the troubadour-like vocal lines, the ability of Thierry Payssan to adapt Medieval Music in his keyboard themes, especially the digital church organ, and the acoustic depth coming out of Jean-Luc Payssan's acoustic variety.Echoes from the Baroque, Renaissance and Medieval periods and stylings are revisited with a contemporary sound, which still contains a lot of electric atmospheres.If you have ever listened to MINIMUM VITAL's music, you have an idea of what to expect.Take the smooth electric tunes of the main band, throw in a stronger dose of archaic, European melodies, and reduce the instruments to keyboards and guitars (next to some sporadic drumming).Impressive reincarnation of old music principles, leading to nice, mostly instrumental stuff.

Just before the Payssan's refocused on their main band Minimum vital, they also released a great live performance of Vital Duo's music on the DVD ''Le jardin hors du temps'', which comes also recommended.A unique entry of electroacoustic Medieval-styled Prog Rock, strongly recommended to say the least...3.5 stars.

The music is an original mix between medieval music and melodic progressive rock. Not surprisingly there are some reminiscences to Blackmore's Night, Gryphon, Jethro Tull and old medieval music. On many of the songs they have managed to create an old sound on mainly new instruments, which is really impressing. Both Thierry and Jean-Luc are magnificent and talented musicians so the final result is nothing else than a masterpiece.