QUI EST AMANDA?

New Belgian act,hailing from the small village of Jollain-Merlin near the Belgian-French borders.They were formed in 1999 by theatrical singer Thibaut de Halleux and keyboardist Mik 3 (real name: Michael Cauchies),initially performing as a trio.Moving on as a keys/voice/bass/guitar/drums quintet,Amanda self-released their debut ''Qui est Amanda ?'' (Who is Amanda?) in 2002.

Modern melodic progressive rock with Classical inspirations and strong elements from Opera is what the listener has to deal with here.Everything seems to start and end in Halleux's theatrical singing and Mik3's keyboards here.The tracks feature a mainly grandiose operatic atmosphere with high-pitched vocals and Classical-influenced keys.Mik3 uses a variety of synths to capture the atmosphere of Classical Music and Opera,the result is often very attractive,but the sound could certainly be richer.Comparisons with ANGE are strong and eventual,from the numerous vocal-based breaks to the constant use of symphonic keys,though with a more modern edge.Weird enough the shorter tracks work better for the band,containing nerve,energy and groove under this operatic symphonicism.The long epic ''Falaises'' is rather too long,too soft,too melancholic and too melodic to be either conveincing or fully appreciated,some more dynamics would help.Some nice guitar solos are also in the menu,but the rest of the band definitely remains in the background.

Amanda's first album is a good proposal for anyone into modern grandiose Symphonic Rock with a theatrical vibe and fans of a stronger keyboard-driven sound.A richer and more balanced sound would help the band reach the top of the prog league but nevertheless their debut is quite interesting and partly original.Recommended.