Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Eidôlon - Dreamland CD (album) cover

DREAMLAND

Eidôlon

 

Crossover Prog

3.32 | 10 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

tszirmay
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This is quite a promising debut release from a talented French trio that aims squarely at a evoking dreamy (hence the album title "Dreamland") sound scapes, a heady mixture of Porcupine Tree, Pulsar, Pink Floyd and assorted Symphonic stylists, thrusting the magical violin to the forefront as the vehicle for intense exploration. Thomas Nguyen cleverly handles exquisite guitars and luscious keyboards (fantastic organ solos), Pierre Boulonne wields an effective bass and the masterful violin, while Noe Lahaye does drum and percuss with style. All three sing but it must be said this is their Achilles heel, very soft and unconvincing (which hints again at Pulsar). The addition of a string quartet adds to the symphonic sound.

The disc starts off with some noise effects, "Vacuum" that rapidly turn into a metallic PTree-like dirge , laying down the florid tonal carpet for the massive 20 minute + epic "Idein" , a thundering psychedelic adventure with reptilian bass, thrashing drums that almost recalls Pink's "One of These Days", a platform for some spanking exhibitionist guitar work and screeching violin interplay . When the Edgar Allan Poe text narration kicks in, there is a vintage Moody Blues feel as well that is most enjoyable, providing even more width and space for the musical embrace. After a lengthy pool of atmospherics the colossal mellotron enters the fray, the 'lin weaving its spectral magic and the picture is now complete as the gentle vocals drift this into the bliss horizon, a bluesy axe solo and organ flourish finalize the Floydian feel. The brief but fabulous "Topos" bullies angrily with a robust bass smashing through the defenses, drums in full escort and the fiery organ adding to the frenzy. The under-produced vocals do little to harm the pleasure but they are weak, something these lads need to work on in the future. "Reflexum" is my favorite track here as it pursues the previous groove with the organ/bass as co-pilots, a spacey section blooms out of the blue that inspires vividly, much like early Porcupine Tree (the high pitched vocal section especially and the Colin Edwin-like bass romp) but the Hammond really steals the show, quivering majestically, burrowing deeply into the pleasure nodes. A delectable piece of Dreamland music! "Illusio" floods right in without a pause, ponderous electric piano droplets paint a subtle canvas that awakens the ensemble playing into another interstellar joyride. The violin contributes a welcome romantic element that is profoundly appealing while the drums and the mellotron evoke some distant thunder. I love this kind of fleeting atmospheric prog , with all its amateurish frills , so utterly refreshing and courageously bold. "Ontology" remains firmly entrenched in the melancholic state of mind, the quartet strings entwine magically in a symphonic arrangement that luxuriates in hushed splendor. The classical elements become evident, as the pace never hustles beyond a gentle liberation, a spiritually uplifting experience. "Logos" shuts this one down nicely, a reprise of earlier power and passion, a fitting summery of what EidĂ´lon has to offer. More EAP texts keep this firmly into the storied tradition of combining music and literature, giving both the proper respect.

A wonderfully honest (yeah, even amateurish) debut that bodes very well for the future, the delicate artwork and a warm dedicated feel pervades the entire project. Fans of genuine space-rock or sympho-prog who are in search of a new thrill, you need to check this one out.

4.5 cat-gut reveries.

tszirmay | 4/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Share this EIDÔLON review

Social review comments () BETA







Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.