ERSATZ

4/3 De Trio are a great obscure south-eastern French project, who disbanded after releasing a single album. The drummer for this short lived band was killed not long after the disbandment, and in memory of him, they collected the work they left half-baked, and stuck it back in the oven. This second album smoothly rolls in and out of many different styles and atmospheres. Most notably are the King Crimson nods, particularly towards Larks' Tongues to Red era, with the clean, metallic, heavy segments. Similarly, these sections are easily compared to Änglagård's style of slick, aggressive progressive rock. But there is also a distinct chamber-prog element here, articulated firmly in the opening track's haunting string arrangements. Avant-garde splashes also make it comparable to the RIO movement: particularly the shadowy compositions of Univers Zero, and those of the classically-inclined Art Zoyd.

However, despite these numerous comparisons, 4/3 De Trio is quite unique, and even during the sections most reminiscent of the greats, they're masked in their own distinctive approach. Many young generation, retro-prog bands if you will, make their own style merely by combining already existing styles of prog, and calling it something new. 4/3 De Trio (starkly not a retro-prog group), though nod back obviously, do not linger endlessly in the past. The arrangements are extremely powerful, the melodies are strong, and the musicianship is not at all lacking. The moods of the album are many, and varied. Textures range from serene acoustic guitar duets, to grand-scale string-backed finales, to jazzy, bass-heavy symphonic prog. But at the core of the project are the virtues of all progressive rock. RIO lovers hungry for modern music, Neo progheads, heavy symphonic, and even metal fans alike will all get a great fix from Ersatz.