LES NOUVEAUX MONDES

I guess Nemo is just not for everyone. Many times have I tried to "get" into their music, and although I fully get it... I can´t seem to really like it. The musicianship is great and they are very prog... so what´s the problem? They just leave me cold, I feel like there is no... no, that´s the point, I feel nothing. I can´t seem to get anything out of them, there is no substance here. The prodcution doesn´t help either, it seems like there is no real mixing, every instrument seems to be so far apart from the rest it doesn´t feel like one thing. But it´s self produced, so I guess I can cut them some slag.

Musically speaking Nemo doesn´t introduce anything new, but they do seem to have some fresh ideas... too fresh if you ask me, still too green. But obviously this is not the general consent, as Nemo must be one of the highest ranked bands in the archives (even though they do lack of more reviews). Maybe future material might be better, could be, and I will probably try another album, but I don´t get my hopes up. Defenitly not retro prog, this is a very modern band... but it´s no where near the caliber of other modern bands.

Nemo's debut is in front of me. This is Les Nouveaux Mondes and they are trying to establish their own style from the first album with some Dream Theater motifs, built in the songs. I would like to notice, that the potential is evident here, but it's not enough developed on the debut album. I thnk this is the least progressive album made by Nemo and the weakest one (if we can call it weak: I think we cannot). It is quite naive; I mean all the ideas are naives and simple, close to popular music in some moments. No problem with this album for all people who like the genre of Nemo and Nemo itself. Some other might have a problem, but little, not big one!

Les Nouveaux Mondes was the first album from Nemo, but the last one added to my collection. Released in 2002 it shows the band were already highly accomplished musicians at this early stage as well as having a firm grasp of song writing, although they would improve on this over subsequent albums.

Musically Nemo tread the ground at the heavier end of the prog spectrum, their trump card being the excellent guitar work of Jean Pierre Louveton who's powerful riffs and fiery lead runs are an essential element of their sound. As a bonus he's a dynamic player and able to use subtle restraint where necessary. Of equal importance Keyboardist Guillaume Fontaine is certainly not in the retro area of ivory ticklers, modern synths his preferred instruments more often than not. The less dense nature of these provides a more contempory and less imposing sound which is not necessarily a good thing for prog lovers but his playing is always top notch. The fine rhythm section of Pascal Bertrand (drums) and Benoît Gaignon (bass) play with flair and dexterity, Bertrand's drum sound being particularly pleasing, favouring a highly tuned snare sound a la Bill Bruford. Incidentally a stumbling block for some may be that all the vocals are sung in their native French but don't let that put you off as Louverton whilst not likely to trouble the lists of worlds greatest singers is more than adequate. In fact like much of the RPI genre the use of their native language adds to the appeal after a few listens.

The complex compositions constantly shift through many time/tempo changes which can occasionally be their downfall as sometimes parts come and go a bit too quickly, leaving some less than memorable. In the main however, it's rarely less than interesting and often compelling with some exciting and lively instrumental workouts perfectly demonstrated in the twenty minute four part Phileas which closes the album.

Those looking for some heavier prog with a modern edge are recommended to check out Nemo but as fine a debut as Les Nouveaux Mondes is I wouldn't make it your first port of call. Instead a great starting point would be 2004's Prelude A La Ruine or the equally excellent most recent release Barbares. 3 ½ stars.

"Finding NEMO" may be many's favorite animated film about a cute little clownfish in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia but not so easy when looking for a particular band with this rather common moniker. For example there was a Belgian band named NEMO, an Italian one, one from the UK, two from the US, one from Finland and two bands from France that are both classified as electric progressive rock. Hard to find in a search indeed but this NEMO is the second one from France and the one that has emerged in the 21st century with a strong modern take on progressive rock with a stream of innovative albums. This NEMO emerged from the Auvergne region of France in Ceyssac.

This NEMO which seems to have outlasted all the others is the one that has attempted to ride the perpetual waves of the very Captain NEMO of the 19th century novels "Twenty Thousand Legions Under The Sea" and "Mysterious Island." The band was formed in 1999 by Pascal Bertrand (drums and percussion), Jean-Pierre Louveton (guitar and vocals) and Guillaume Fontaine (keyboards), the latter of the two having remained the only members to be involved with every album up to the present. The original lineup on this debut album LES NOUVEUX MONDES (The New Worlds) also included bassist Benoît Gaignon who replaced the original bassist Hervé Esquis.

Right from the start NEMO created a lush and dense tapestry of progressive rock styles and melded them into a rich and complex mishmash of elements that would take heavily fortified compositions and infuse them with a ceaseless parade of dynamics, tempo changes, mood enhancing atmospheres and time signatures run amok. Eschewing the policy of English only as was the norm of classic prog (save the Italian scene), NEMO, while primarily focusing on lengthy instrumental runs also includes lyrics delivered in their native French. The main focus of the instrumentation revolves around the strong and creative guitar chops of Louveton in conjunct with the deliberate and fanciful keyboard antics of Fontaine.

The music is extraordinarily dense and characterized by a plethora of melodic developments that meander and morph unexpectedly as time signatures punctate the flow, tempos gestate from calm bucolic verses to more aggressive rock. The tracks are lengthy with the four part suite "Philéas" ending the album with a 20 minute epic prog journey. The band takes influences from all across the prog spectrum with Genesis-like symphonic prog, heavy prog influences from The Mars Volta and Dream Theater, modern symphonic leanings from Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings as well as the virtuosic grace of bands like Anglagard and atmospheric sophistication in the vein of Porcupine Tree. NEMO nailed this eclectic mix from the getgo and although they have produced better albums than LES NOUVEUX MONDES, this debut is nothing less than an excellent slice of sophisticated prog yumminess.

In many ways, NEMO was even more diverse on this debut than on the later albums. While some may claim this to be unfocused, others like myself deem it as exciting. While i have nothing against more focused albums that aren't as scattered, i find all the elements on board here that defy predictability to be quite refreshing and stimulating even. For my money i actually prefer albums that have all the proper prog boxes checked and then add layers of mysterious deviations and LES NOUVEAUX MONDES delivers the best aspects of both the predictable as well as that which is not. For my money, this debut is as good as any of the albums that follow and not one to be missed by any NEMO aficionado who has come to this band late in their game.