REVOLU$ION

The theme of rebellion is one that pops up all too frequently in rock music. I suppose because 'obeying your superiors' doesn't make for as catchy of a chorus hook, but rock music has definitely been something of a watchdog for what its musicians perceive as ills of the world, identifying problems and making music that addresses them accordingly. It should not come as too much of a surprise then that a band could make an album that revolves around this topic, coming from the historically revolutionary nation of France no less. Nemo is a band I have never heard before 'Révolu$ion', but it is clear that they have met some great acclaim over their career. Beginning as a less distinct melodic prog metal band, Nemo have since gone on to become one of the brightest lights in modern heavy prog rock. 'Révolu$ion' has met some high acclaim since being released, and for good reason; 'Révolu$ion' reaffirms Nemo's place as one of the shakers of modern prog.

The sound here is quite a bit heavier than the typical 'symphonic' variety of prog rock that people may be used to. The title track here shows the band leaning towards progressive metal more than anything else, featuring gritty guitars and dark vibe, although the vocals keep things very melodic. A trend with this album though is that the quality of the tracks are indirectly proportionate to their length. Although the shorter tracks are excellent and get the blood flowing for the rest of the album, the real highlights here are when Nemo adopts a more epic approach to their writing, which is something that they do exceedingly well. 'Loins Des Yeux' is a piece of music that cycles through numerous different feelings and sounds, going from symphonic heavy metal to subtle prog to a incredibly well-built and powerful Celtic section, where the bagpipes drive the band's sound into a furious ecstasy. 'Aux Portes Du Paradis' is another part of 'Révolu$ion' where Nemo decides to take some folkish sounds into their music, using some celestial Far East instrumentation that lulls the listener into a sense of zen calm before hitting them with another dose of intelligently designed prog rock.

As the topic may indicate, the music here is very angry in nature, taking the rather volatile issues that Nemo are concerning themselves with and conveying them through heavy rock orchestrations. Louveton's voice is very melodic and warm, but the anger cna be heard here; it is clear that Nemo's music is being driven by some sincere frustrations with the modern world. At the same time, the band can be very intimate with their sound, closing off the typically crunchy music of the album with 'Note Pour Plus Tard', a song that could almost be considered uplifting, as if the revolution of which the band speaks of has a glorious outcome for all involved. Nemo's 'Révolu$ion' is certainly an album that speaks to the current state of affairs in the world, and while the shorter songs don't compare to the majestic nature of the longer pieces, Nemo has made an album that will be remembered for quite some time.

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