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MACHIAVEL

Eclectic Prog • Belgium


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Machiavel biography
MACHIAVEL's story is a whale of a tale, beginning when drummer/vocalist Marc Ysaye and bassist Roland Degreef left MOBY DICK to pursue prog rock in their native Belgium. Soon fleshed out to a quintet that included Mario Guccio (vocals), Albert Letecheur (keyboards) and Jean-Paul Devaux (guitar), the band hit their stride on "Jester" (1977) and "Mechanical Moonbeams" (1978). As the '80s dawned, MACHIAVEL shifted away from playing purely progressive music, which led to the departure of Letecheur, followed by Devaux (who was replaced by Thierry Plas).

This new quartet released three more albums before calling it quits in 1983. Ysaye and Letecheur then formed TWILIGHT, while Degreef and Guccio turned up in BEIGE NEIGE. But interest in MACHIAVEL never waned, and in 1987 the previous quartet reunited for one more album, "The Cry of Pleasure." Following a pair of compilations, MACHIAVEL conducted its farewell tour in 1996. "Aloha" tour might have been the better word, as it only fu!eled interest in the band and they once again became a going concern, releasing "Virtual Sun" in 1999. A new disc, "Welcome To Paradise," is due out in early 2003. The secret to the band's success may lie in the words of Machiavelli himself: "One cannot find that they owed anything to fortune but the opportunity which gave them matter to shape into the form they thought right."

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MACHIAVEL discography


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MACHIAVEL top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.36 | 63 ratings
Machiavel
1976
3.80 | 116 ratings
Jester
1977
3.72 | 81 ratings
Mechanical Moonbeams
1978
2.59 | 26 ratings
Urban Games
1979
1.68 | 18 ratings
New Lines
1980
1.19 | 8 ratings
Break Out
1981
1.14 | 9 ratings
The Cry of Pleasure
1987
3.41 | 26 ratings
Virtual Sun
1998
3.19 | 14 ratings
Welcome to Paradise
2003
2.43 | 12 ratings
2005
2005
3.41 | 17 ratings
Eleven
2011
3.58 | 12 ratings
Colours
2013
3.74 | 10 ratings
Phoenix
2022

MACHIAVEL Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.04 | 7 ratings
Valentine's Day
1982
3.44 | 11 ratings
Machiavel Live
1999
4.17 | 6 ratings
Machiavel Acoustic
2009

MACHIAVEL Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.50 | 2 ratings
Live at Coliseum
2007

MACHIAVEL Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 4 ratings
The Best of Machiavel
1991
2.21 | 5 ratings
20th Anniversary Machiavel - The Very Best Of
1996
3.50 | 4 ratings
Original Hits
2000
3.15 | 4 ratings
Anthology
2001
3.33 | 3 ratings
The Essential of Machiavel
2003
3.33 | 3 ratings
Best of Machiavel
2006

MACHIAVEL Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

MACHIAVEL Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Jester by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.80 | 116 ratings

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Jester
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by TenYearsAfter

4 stars This is my Machiavel second best album, after Mechanical Moonbeams (an omnipresent Mellotron choir section I wrote). The music from this Belgian formation sounds very melodic and harmonic, tastefully arranged and wonderfully layered with a wide range of vintage keyboards, topped with the Machiavel trademark vocals, a voice in a higher range and often with vocal harmonies.

Now a look at the 7 tracks of the original LP that I bought in the early Eighties, in the known German record shop Saturn (Cologne).

Mainly slow rhythms with some breaks and accellarations and wonderful colouring by the keyboards (string- ensemble, spectacular Minimoog runs and Fender Rhodes electric piano), strong English vocals and great guitarplay (from sensitive to fiery) in Wisdom and Sparkling Jaw.

The ballad Moments has a pleasant romantic atmosphere featuring warm vocals, twanging acoustic guitar and wonderful Mellotron choirs.

In the Reign of Queen Pollution starts with a mellow keyboard intro, then halfway flowing shifting moods delivering great work on the Mellotron (choir section), Minimoog synthesizer and Fender Rhodes piano, along good vocals.

Wonderful changing climates, surprising breaks, varied keyboard work (majestic Mellotron choirs) and strong vocals in Jester and Mister Street Fair.

And finally the epic composition Rock, Sea And Tree that alternates between mellow and swinging featuring fine interplay between a dynamic rhythm-section, vocals and piano. Halfway we can enjoy a sensitive electric guitar solo, then a gradually more bombastic atmosphere with a propulsive rhythm-section and a sensational Minimoog solo.

Although the Genesis and Yes hints are obvious Machiavel has succeeded to blend these influences with an own touch (like the trademark vocals), and with lots of interesting musical ideas, embellished with an awesome and varied vintage keyboard sound.

If you are up to prog that shifts between sumptuous symphonic rock and accessible melodic rock this a fine band to discover (the early albums, later Machiavel turned into pretty poppy).

 Phoenix by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 2022
3.74 | 10 ratings

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Phoenix
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by Hogweed Returns

4 stars Well this is quite a surprise for me! This is the first review of the album from our Belgian progrockers Machiavel. Although their first 3 albums were progressive rock, with the highlight for me "Mechanical Moonbeams" including the hitsong "Rope Dancer". Then it became more commercial with pop orientated music. Not my cup of tea, but this album has 2 beautiful progrock songs with "Drop The Mask" and "Afterlife" where they go back to their roots in the seventies. Here the Phoenix rises from the ashes and I hope in the future they will produce more of these great songs. 4 stars for me ****
 Mechanical Moonbeams by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.72 | 81 ratings

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Mechanical Moonbeams
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by Phipz-97

5 stars Certainly one of my alltime favourites. I discovered this belgium band during the first lockdown, Machiavel is well known in their home country, even having some single success with the song 'Fly' after turning towards new wave in the 80s. Their first three albums (and to some extent their fourth) are deeply rooted in progressive rock however, this being their third. Machiavel mixes typical prog rock keyboard prowess, provided by the late Albert Letecheur (who is also the main songwriter together with axeman Jean Paul Devaux) with a heavy rock'n roll attitude foreshadowing their later new wave style and even being a precurser to the neoprog genre (bands like Twelfth Night and Pallas would later mix prog with wave). At the heart of the band is late frontman Mario Guccio with his meaty, aggressive and sometimes delicate vocals giving the band a very distinctive style. Think Peter Hammill and Derek Shulman thrown into a blender while also slipping in a spoonful of italian accent.

HIghlights are too many to mention but in general the album features five rocking songs and two ballads and plenty of mellotron bliss. Opener 'Beyond The Silence' features great heavy riffing with many time signature changes. 'Summon Up Your Strengh' showcases the typical Machiavel song structure, opening slow and melodic before breaking out into a fierce (prog) rocker with Guccio proving a punky lead vocal. 'Rope Dancer' (which found some success as a pre-album single) and 'Mary' are slower ballads, the latter is quite haunting since Guccio sings from the point of a little girl witnessing her first day in school. 'Rebirth' ist probably the most standard prog rock song on the album. It recalls the jester character from the previous album, I find myself getting easily distractet when this song plays, it is faaaaar from not being a great song, it just isn't as interesting to me as the other four rock songs. My two favourite tracks bookend the second side. 'After The Crop' starts out fairly standard on acoustic guitar with a soft vocal before the synths take the lead as the song gets heavier. The second half of the song is completely bonkers in the best way. Letecheur plays a boogie rhythm.. on a mellotron while Guccio shines again while in parts electronicly enhanced vocals while namedropping the albums title. The album closes with 'Fifth Season' again starting slow on synth and mellotron before drummer Marc Ysaye takes charge with a heavy and complicated drum part that even after numerous listenes throws me off the beat some time. The song and album end in the most majestic way with Ysaye and Guccio sharing vocal duties while Devaux provides a great solo.

~ first published at 'audio.philip' on Instagram ~

 Jester by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.80 | 116 ratings

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Jester
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Belgian band Machiavel had debuted exhibiting influences from many, many bands including Supertramp, Nektar, The Eloy, Thin Lizzy, and David Bowie, to name just a few, but within the songs and instrumental sound choices of this album, Jester, one can hear the new sounds and styles used by Tony Banks and Steve Hackett on the GENESIS albums A Trick of The Tale and Wind and Wuthering, which illustrates just how quickly these sounds and styles were affecting the music of other bands at that time. The opener, "Wisdom," "Moments," Sparkling Jaw," and the ten- minute epic, "Rock, Sea and Tree" all show the mark Genesis had made.

1. "Wisdom" (6:00) if Robert Plant sang for VDGG. (9/10)

2. "Sparkling Jaw" (7:00) some Pink Floydishness here before the Eurobeats begin. Finishes with a second half of the bouncy keyboardiness of a SUPERTRAMP song ("Lady" or "Long Way Home"). (8.75/15)

3. "Moments" (3:17) 12-strings and passionate multi-voiced MARTIN COCKERHAM (SPIROGYRA)-like vocals give this one a pastoral Prog Folk sound and feel. (9/10)

4. "In The Reign Of Queen Pollution" (6:56) thicker chords and another impassioned vocal give the first half of this song a kin of Uriah Heep or Nektar sound and feel, then it goes Camel and Supertramp with more Roye Albrighton- like singing. (12.75/15)

5. "The Jester" (5:20) venturing into the realm of jazz-pop before going full on DAVID BOWIE Ziggy Stardust. Yet another fall back into a SUPERTRAMP-like electric piano stutter-step though it sounds a lot more like ELTON JOHN's "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" before a very early-GENESIS-like instrumental passage. (9/10)

6. "Mister Street Fair" (7:55) sounds a lot like QUEEN's "Killer Queen" until the "do you hear?" vocal rondo after which it becomes its own dramatic delivery mechanism. The speed up at the end of the fourth minute is a diversion for the multi-thread carnivalesque weave that follows in the fifth. I hear so many sounds from other songs in this weave--all so disparate yet making it so interesting--the Fender Rhodes keyboard is playing a variant of the arpeggio base of KING HARVEST's "Dancing in the Moonlight" before turning into SUPERTRAMP, the guitar and vocalist are playing melody lines from The MARSHALL TUCKER BAND's "Can't You See," and then it all goes into SUPERTRAMP "Dreamer" extended outro. Intersting mélange. (12.75/15)

7. "Rock, Sea, And Tree" (9:52) opens with a vocal sounding like GREG LAKE being supported by gently played Fender Rhodes and mosquito synth flying around in the soundscape. The vocalist changes and we get into more early DAVID BOWIE territory--though some NEKTAR Recycled can also be heard. The piano player likes that constant bounce so much he should have been a showtune accompanist. I love the bluesy fifth and sixth minutes (after the bouncy piano leaves). At the end of the seventh minute things turn GENESIS--very "Get 'em Out by Friday"-ish. (17/20)

Total time 46:20

The band has effectively incorporated a lot of borrowed sounds--including some of Genesis's new sounds--into a grand and surprisingly sophisticated potpourri of art-rock, bubble gum prog.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of eclectic progressive art rock music.

 Mechanical Moonbeams by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.72 | 81 ratings

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Mechanical Moonbeams
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by TenYearsAfter

4 stars "Omnipresent Mellotron choir section"

Good action from UK label Esoteric Recordings to reissue original prog albums as remasters, including a booklet with the history, pictures and additional information. From Procol Harum, BJH and Colosseum II to Chris Squire, Steve Hackett, Hawkwind and, last but not least, Belgian prog band Machiavel. Their second album Jester has also been remastered, but I prefer their more mature and elaborate third album Mechanical Moonbeams. I am not going to talk about the mindblowing cover art, in order to avoid automatical censorship from PA. At that point, I miss the original fold out covers from the size of LP's!

On this third album Machiavel succeed to create more an own musical face, especially with the tension between the mellow and bombastic parts, coloured with a variety of instruments, from twanging 12-string acoustic guitars and fiery electric guitar work to a wide range of vintage keyboards.

The opener Beyond The Silence has a very high ranking in my 'Most Memorable Mighty Mellotron Moments': the unsurpassed Mellotron choir section is wonderfully blended in the contrasting atmospheres, especially in the up- tempo beat with a thunderous rhythm-section, propulsive guitar riffs, dazzling Minimoog flights, inspired vocals and ultra-bombastic Mellotron choirs, goose bumps!

Then in every track on this album a lot of variety and interesting musical ideas.

Rope Dancer and Mary: Dreamy with warm vocals and twanging acoustic guitars, topped by tender vocals, subtle Mellotron drops and synthesizer flights.

Summon Up Your Strength : A raw R&R voice and in the end fiery electric guitar runs.

Rebirth :.It starts dreamy with a tender voice and vocal harmonies, then a swinging break with sparkling Grand piano, propulsive guitar riffs, a dynamic rhythm-section and lush Mellotron choirs and subtle guitar play. Then the music slows down with vocal harmonies, soaring keyboards, culminating in a mid-tempo beat with a long Minimoog solo, wonderful symphonic rock!

The Fifth Season: First mellow with soft Mellotron choirs drops and slow Minimoog runs, topped with pleasant vocal harmonies. Then an accellaration with swinging synthesizer work. And finally majestic Mellotron choirs with a moving guitar solo, including howling runs.

My highlight is the longest track After The Crop. First dreamy, then compelling with fat bass pedals and slow synthesizer runs, halfway a moving guitar solo. In the second part we are on our way to Prog Heaven featuring breathtaking Mellotron choirs waves, fat Minimoog flights, propulsive guitar riffs and wah-wah guitar, topped with powerful R&R vocals, wow, goose bumps!

The two bonustracks Wind Of Life and the demo I'm Not A Loser are nice additions, no more or less. Wonderful use of melody and harmony, captivating tension between mellow and bombastic parts, pleasant vocals and a varied instrumentation, from warm twanging acoustic guitars to sumptuous Mellotron choir outbursts, what an excellent album, highly recommended!

 Jester by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.80 | 116 ratings

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Jester
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by friso
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Machiavel - Jester (1977)

Late Belgian symphonic prog of early neo-prog? We'll all agree on the W&W-era Genesis influences in the keyboard department, probably on some Supertramp (though not so jolly) influences and I myself sense some David Bowie influences when hearing vocalist Mario Guccio.

Machiavel has a modern electric progressive rock sound, actually not that different from most neoprog-groups of today. Actually, when it comes to style is sounds way more modern then the Marillion debut. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Marillion and Saga took some spins of this record.

But this is a reviel about Machiavel. The sound is abstract, yet theatrical. Mystical and adventerious, dark and sometimes happy. It was however recorded earlier and with a slightly imperfect mixing (the record could have sounded a bit havier), giving it an obscure feel. Take that in - obscure sounding early neoprog. I fell for it in the vinyl store and some passages just got me. The couplet theme of opening track 'Wisdom' and the vocal/guitar duo on 'Sparkling Jaw' are amazing. With a more carefull listen at home these passsages still impress, but the record also starts to show some cracks. The vocals are intense, but also a bit non-human and the lyrics just strange. Sometimes they are almost hidden behind symphonic layers, I myself like the artist and his performance having a central place in the mix. The ballad 'Moments' is just a Genesis ballad by another band, though still enjoyable. As the record progresses the band becomes more playfull, adding even some wind- instruments. I'm not blow away by the title of the fourt track 'In the reing of queen polution'. The track has a nice low-pased Eloy-like opening with proportions of seriousness that you'll only find in symphonic and neoprog. During the song the atmospheres change and the band finds simple ways of making music very enjoyable.

On side two 'The Jester' is perhaps the happiest tracks, with a lot of Supertramp-like Fender Rhodes passages. The instrumental section is however a classic example of symphonic prog. 'Mr. Street fair' has an interesting exciting atmosphere and I can't help to hear some Queen influences. The changing between melancholy and playfulness works out well on this track, resulting in an ending section that has both. The last track ''Rock, sea an trea' is the longest track and a sum of everything that made this an enjoyable album.

Conclusion. This is a very interesting record falling between two era's of symphonic progressive rock. Recommended to fans of the bands mentioned, symphonic prog, neoprog and people interested in genre development. I'm giving it four stars, this record deserves more listeners and recognition in my opinion.

ps The artwork is really nice and the inside of the foldoutcover has lots of boobs, though portrayed consistent with the style of the front cover.

 Jester by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.80 | 116 ratings

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Jester
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Machiavel is one of the most successful rock bands in Belgium (though internationally less respected than the RIO/Avant act Univers Zero). It could be compared to Dutch KAYAK as they both delivered keyboard-orientated, light symphonic prog and shifted towards more commercial paths - and have continued their existence through decades. Machiavel aimed at high production level right from the start in 1974. The second album Jester introduced Italian-born singer/reed-player Mario Cuccio as well as the new guitarist Jean-Paul Devaux.

The sound is bright and often includes electric piano, which makes me think of SUPERTRAMP's Crime of the Century album, but the songs are more symphonic and longer, and the vocals have some 80's pop feel. As a matter of fact Jester reminds me a lot of Neo-Prog (Marillion, IQ, Pendragon)! Some tracks have Marillion-ish solos for el.guitar or synths and the overall atmosphere is similarly theatrical in the footsteps of GENESIS. The ending mini-epic 'Rock, Sea, and Tree' has mythological lyrics reminding of 'Fountain of Salmacis' but without the clear plotline of the Genesis classic. Maybe 'Jester' has a nod to the King Crimson debut? (And did Fish know this album when Marillion did Script for a Jester's Tear? Hmm, more likely not.) This is an easily enjoyable album, but probably too overproduced for some listeners. I like it but it lacks true originality and sometimes tastes quite commercial. Excellent production for its time, that's for sure. 3˝ stars.

 Machiavel by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.36 | 63 ratings

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Machiavel
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by historian9
Special Collaborator Retired Admin

3 stars 3 stars for Machiavel debut, leaning more to 2 stars then 4. Most of the songs are more art rock then progressive, it's just to watered down for me. If judging by this album alone, Machiavel would fit better in crossover genre of prog than eclectic but I didn't have a listen of other albums just yet.

For me this album's weak points are sort of the strong ones, the most sentimental and maybe needlesly prolonged ballads are the ones that I could listen to once in a while, "Cry No More" has a decent guitar solo to which it builds up bit slow, and for another example "Leave It Where It Can Stay" is more of the same with more synths in the play and guitar follow them nicely, more of that sad atmosphere going on. All of those by the way, very vocal oriented. "When Johan Died" is more reminiscent of the classic prog genre and being rock in its form, and I guess the spacey opener "Johan's Brother..." is ok, but even it overstays it's welcome. All the rest I find pretty unmemorable, except the previously unreleased "To Be Free", I remember that one cause it's straight up rock'n'roll and if it were me I would leave it unreleased. And while talking about these new tracks, I can only see hard fans going for it, "Don't Remember" being the only decent one that's more like the ballads from the original. There is some potential in this band and I presume by looking at ratings that after the debut MACHIAVEL gets much better.

 Jester by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.80 | 116 ratings

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Jester
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by progshachar

5 stars A great album My first Belgium group and a great start it is. I think they are unique in their sound although we can find similarities to Genesis, Yes and even Supertramp - whenever the electric piano is used. All of the lyrics are great combining Green issues with legends. Wisdom is a great opener, lots of keyboard use that evolves as the seconds pass and a great singing. Superb openner, There are even touches of Pink Floyd when the guitar plays. Sparkling jaw opens with singing a chorus without music. Then the music flows inside with a slow blend later the pace grows. Moments is a great tribute to Genesis with "super's ready " mentioned and a beautiful singing. In the reign of queen pollution ? is very strong piece with "green" agenda, very true to our days. It starts very slow and get stronger and faster as the moments pass. The jester ?is a beautiful song. Starts lovely with the electric piano, continues very slowly and later a faster pace. A very Supertramp song in my opinion. Mister street fair = great piece. Again starts slow and evolves. Again a bit of "Green" in the lyrics. Veru powerful toward the middle. Rock, sea, and tree - the longest and most powerful song for the ending of the album. Starts slowly with nice singing then evolves to a very energetic song. Reminding me of Genesis. 2 bonus tracks very short and very "so so" - The birds are gone and , I'm nowhere

 Mechanical Moonbeams by MACHIAVEL album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.72 | 81 ratings

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Mechanical Moonbeams
Machiavel Eclectic Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

3 stars MACHIAVEL are from Belgium and most feel that this album or the previous record "Jester" were their best works.This was released rather late in the game in 1978 but they used lots of mellotron which sort of saves it for me actually. Only one track doesn't have it.

"Beyond The Silence" opens with outbursts of sound with mellotron in between. It goes downhill for me when the vocals arrive before a minute.The tempo proceeds to shift quite a bit. I do like the sound before 5 minutes with the vocals and mellotron standing out to the end. "Summon Up Your Strength" opens with synths and mellotron as reserved vocals join in. It kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes with aggressive vocals that remind me of Roger Daltry. "Rope Dancer" has a pastoral mood with reserved vocals. It's somewhat fuller before 2 minutes.

"Rebirth" is also mellow to start with laid back vocals.The tempo starts to pick up some.Things turn into a fast paced affair including the vocals. Mellotron before 4 minutes then it calms right down before rebuilding. "After The Crop" opens with acoustic guitar and fragile vocals. It gets fuller before 1 1/2 minutes then it gets really full 4 minutes in. A pulsating beat comes in after 5 minutes joined by aggressive vocals. "Mary" is pastoral with acoustic guitar as soft vocals join in. "The Fifth Season" opens with piano and drums as spoken words join in. It picks up with vocals.The tempo picks up even more before 4 1/2 minutes.The guitar is crying out before 7 minutes to the end.

A good album but not even close to being 4 stars.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to E&O Team for the last updates

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