EDHELS

Third album of this discrete band coming from a small country is better in any way then the previous album. Released in 1988 under the name of Still dream, this time Edhels make a more complex, uptempo and with much better arrangements, but with all that not really something special. The keybords are very lush, smooth , again Marc Ceccoti did a good job, but as I said before the music of Edhels suffers in great arrangements, it's not enough to have good musicians who can handle the instrument , must be some shining moments, at last here and there. This album has it's moments for sure, the arrangements are better though, they play a kind of neo prog not far from late '70's german albums like Tibet, what done Novalis in that times, Machiavel in some parts, even Camel or Mike Oldfield, more the melodic side of neo with lush keybords and melodic guitar elements, some elements have that new age touch tipycal for that period. The music is accesible most of the time, not a prog rock listner will not be afaraid to take alisten, but for sure not many will be pleased what they will here. Edhels is not a very popular band here aswell like on other sites, maybe because some of their albums are not on every corner, but aswell their music is nothing realy impressive, at least these two albums reviewed by me is nothing extraodrinary. The highlits are for sure Heart Door and Butterfly child, good pieces whre is shown the talent of Ceccoti, the rest are only ok, but good. So, a 3 star album to me, better in any way over Oriental christmas, but nothing close to a masterpiece or alike.

Edhels is a progressiverock band from Monaco formed in early '80's by guitar player Marc Ceccotti. They beggin their career wanted to keep the prog flame alive in those dark years of prog, mid '80's. They succeded with this second album named Oriental christmas??, not realy. The album to my ears is to dull, to mellow, with a little great moments. Sometimes sounds like a cross between instrumental genesis but far less complex, Rousseau and some spacy moments ala Novalis, but the entire result is not great, realy. I had hard time listning to this album more then two times, in some moments I've almost got asleep. What bothers me is that the album, with the exception opening track , the best from here is not varied and the '80's keybords sound is all over, to mediocre to be a real intrest for progressive rock fans. The guitar lines are ok , Marc Ceccotti realy have some good moments here, but the songwritting is almost mediocre at best here. I'll be short, the album gets from me 2 stars, maybe 2.5 but no more then that for sure. One of the most unintristing albums from mid '80's from this scene for sure.

There is one style of music (or better: prog) that will always appeal to me and is in fact my number one preference: the instrumental, melodic style preferably in the neo vein. And actually here we have a perfect example of that. This release by Edhels from the late eighties (!!) is just about how I like it most.

This is such elaborate music, very accessible, dreamy at times (the title is well chosen !) and simply captivating especially if you are in the right mood for it. Well, I'm in the mood for this most of the time except for those moments I want my music fierce and energetic. Because that's what this is NOT. It's extremely lush yet restrained and also laid back, very delicate also.

Describing each song is useless, it's the style what it's about here. I regret I have only found this album by Edhels, it's one of those bands that are pretty hard to find. But I'll keep searching if only out of curiosity what the other albums sound like. If it's the same as this one, I will buy them right away. Four stars without hesitation and recommended for fans of laid back, extremely melodic music.

On 'Still Dream "here we are in the best of the group, nothing to do with the catastrophic" Astro-logical. "Here we are closer to the sumptuous" Oriental Christmas ", the first two titles are not excessively but achievable. third title "Boarding Pass" is a beautiful title, Guitar Hero beautiful, clean and beautiful. "Fee Winter" is a title very acoustic but very short and not annoying. The famous 'September Dawn' is here, here, the style of Best edhel is in his best side, the sound "edhel" in fact we do not think of everything King Crimson for example, a headline in any way the class. "Gael & Selena" does not drift into the shallows is a very cool way around the keyboard. "Christie Feline Girls" shows bad signs bad "edhel 'alas it will eventually become, but the title still hold the road." Still dream "air starts very simple and relaxing." Anibal "s Trip" Foley then offers an organ sound and guitar attack from the outset, standing out still other securities of the group, even the guitar solo as the final s'indentifie edhel and not another group. "At the edge of the sun reveals the sun do not come, but the charm of edhel 'is entered him. The last 2 tracks are not more famous, it seems to fill, but the last title short acoustic is fun just to finish ending on

Here we are far from the great 'Oriental Christmas' the synth sounds are very dated and a strange taste for progressive rock. Fortunately, the guitar is level on "The Lord of the Fire." "Tension" is a title well done, very soft in the tradition of the best 'edhel. On "Iq 27" can be heard singing "edhel" To my great surprise, the song is really disappointing, singing in English to a group of Monaco, which makes it an accent really intolerable. The title 'Angel's Promise' is a beautiful title. "Guinevre's Regret" is a title very badly orchestrated, bad singing, bad sound, very disappointing, regret it so sacred. "Noah's Ark" is a title rather painful ... The next "On the borderland of sleep is also a wolf." Lights being Messages "is somehow the best of the group if one compares the other tracks on the album." Tales of Mr. K "is still sung, and c It is a disappointment once again uen. "Life, Life 'n dansu different kind, air, acoustic, closer to nature sounds." Gentle Giant but not "as unpleasant. The group nevertheless managed to raise the bar against the previous album which was a disaster 'Astro-Logical ". "And to think that I loved you so much" is a very good title to what the group is still. "Visions and meetings" thus closing the album on a good note.

The seventh effort by this band finds them reaching yet another creative peak - the 2003 release "Saltimbanques" is a lovely progressive feast in which the use of weird sonorities (mixing psychedelia and fusion) frankly mixes well with a set of lightweight arrangements. So, here is a clever, softly delivered mixture of accessibility and solid experimentation. Experimenting with bizarre nuances of the prog genre in not that new in Edhels' history: their cornerstone album "Astro-Logical" found them incorporating an interesting amalgam of electronic frameworks and Crimsonian textures through creative, intricate melodies. "Saltimbanques" signifies a step beyond in this constant exploration performed by Ceccotti & co.: the rhythm section is utilized through rhythm computers, but this is not a chill-out or trance effort, since the rhythm sequences are intelligently adapted to the complex patterns and cadences inherent to the compositions. The namesake track opens up the album with gypsy colors, patently marked by agile acoustic guitar arpeggios and electric guitar solos, that at times get as bizarre as some sort of Fripp-meets-Holdsworth. 'Legende-III' brings a more relaxed ambience, relatively similar to a modernized Hackett: for a last minute rumpus, the mood gets subtly augmented without breaking the track's integrality. 'Schizo-Scherzo' bears a weird melodic development, but it is not challenging or inscrutable since its framework is serene and exotic: this is a beautiful, sober mixture of symphonic and jazz-pop. The same trend is pursed at 'Avignon', being even more sober. On the other hand, 'Rever avec Toi' and 'Nomad's Joke' are delicate symphonic ballads whose romantic vibes feel very ethereal. The band show how comfortable they feel dealing with constrained melodic structures functioning as a well-oiled ensemble. Also set on a slow tempo but with a defined jazzy tendency, 'Bruxelles' reminds us of 90s Holdsworth at his most introspective - besides its set of bizarre harmonic deliveries, this track is designed to motivate the warm side of the listener's heart. 'Paradoxical Intentions' bears a spacey aura very much a-la Vangelis with clear hints to the electronic side of the Projekcts, plus the recurrent exotic nuances evident in both the rhythm sequences and keyboard ornaments. You can describe this track as a cousin of most tracks included in the "Astro- Logical" album, and let me add that it comprises one of the most exciting guitar leads in the album. 'Eternelle' is kinder, taking a hard rock-friendly approach to a slow jazz-rock piece: the track is really fresh as it is melancholic. 'Siena' is pure fusion with acoustic predominance, simplistic yet cleverly evocative. So far, this album has been a beautiful travel of sound that is now about to be completed with the 11 ½ minute long closure 'Mare Temporis'. Even from the earliest passages we can figure that this piece is majestic and heavily lyrical. This piece might as well be the perfect soundtrack for a walk about the rooms of a desolate palace, big and pompous yet filled with some creepy atmosphere. The guitar solos, very Hackett-ish, sound like soft laments confidently displayed over the keyboard layers and mysterious piano chord progressions. For the last two minutes a climax arrives, not bombastic but clearly charged on an emotional level. The creepy and the ethereal remain fused in a single sonic source - even though this track states a contrast with most of the melodic schemes pursued in the other pieces, it serves as a powerful closure for the album. This Edhels album is a jewel in the progressive rock scene for the new millennium.

This group of Monaco presents here his worst album. start to the end titles are all missed, and uninteresting. "Edhel" offers here a progressive rock of the worst, sloppy sound and very syntéhtique. The group demonstrates and shows all his faults in a single album, the worst tracks on the album 'Angel's Promise' are here in their present form. Thank you not to listen to this album of "edhel" first, otherwise, no interest, no desire or will not be available to you. I was lucky enough to know the beautiful "Oriental Christmas" before, but this album is still a terrible shock, seeing this group that literally touches the bottom of the abyss. Real shame, no title or perhaps the best album title would THERE could serve a future album of the group improving.

"Ragtag baby" opens the album with a guitar that décoiffe well, keyboards and other sounds are a bit dated, and original, but the title is required. "Spring Road is a simple title, but very beautiful, with a guitar frippienne really very, very nice and the theme is always beautiful with this form of originality in the sound. "tepid Wing" the title is even better than the previous two, the album goes so powerful. "Ca Li Vi Sco" we can notice the sounds a bit limited, but the rest, melody, structure is very interesting. "Oriental Christmas" is the east, and beautiful, beautiful success. "Fd smile" still sharp guitar solo sweet, very gentle way. "Imaginary Dance" So a very interesting music. Edhel never sing but you do not need to chant as his music takes over your life. "Souvenir 76" beautiful little music very airy, very nice. "Absynthe" trying to keep the level of the album. "Agatha" below the title too, probably "edhel" unable to release a beautiful album from one end to another. "Nan Madol" beautiful title which still ends in beauty, thank you "edhel" for this beautiful album.

Edhels their third CD entitled Still Dream is one of my favorite French prog albums, it sounds so unique and compelling. I was a bit disappointed about other albums Oriental Christmas (1985) and Astrological (1991), I missed the tension and captivating work on keyboards and guitar. Six years later Edhels delivered a new album, I remember that I was very curious to their development after so many years.

Well, Edhels still sounds original on this album, most of the 13 compositions are instrumental with a modern keyboard sound, strong drums and lots of fiery guitar play by Marc Ceccotti and Jean Louis Suzzoni. I am delighted about the tracks IQ 27 (a bit exotic percussion, biting guitar and strong vocals), Guinevere's Regrets (cynical female vocals, a strong beat and lots of interesting parts), Lights Being Messages (splendid guitar with howling runs like Hackett), Life, Life (beautiful duel acoustic guitarplay) and Gentle But Not Giant (Pandora's Box of percussion and keyboards). But in some other tracks the sound is a bit too smooth and Ceccotti tends to repeat himself. So in the end Edhels fails to keep my attention during the running time of more than 70 minutes, with less it could have been more. Nonetheless, this CD contains lots of interesting ideas and some exciting moments.

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Astro-Logical was my first encounter with this Monaco-based group which produces albums thanks to the great label Musea. But what a deception. Let me explain. The guys play perfectly, that's not a problem. It's just that the music is 'metallic' in the sense that it doesn't have any feeling... are you following me ? You could easily imagine robots playing the instruments... Anyway, it's pretty good if you like fusion and if you like technical virtuosity on the guitar. One more thing I didn't like about the sound : the use of synth- guitar.