NEO

NEO were a six piece band out of France who played a guitar driven brand of instrumental music that is very melodic. A big thankyou to tszirmay who gave me the opportunity to hear this gem. This review has been long over due. "Neo" was released back in 1980 and besides the prominent guitar we get plenty of sax, upfont bass lines and energetic drumming. Also the synths add a lot of depth and atmosphere to this recording.

"Osibirsk" hits the ground running as the bass and drums support the scathing guitar melodies. Sax joins in as well and we're 2 minutes in before it all lets up and the sax takes the lead. There's a CAMEL vibe before 5 minutes which is pretty cool then it ends with a spacey calm. "Scene De Chasse" is led by the drums and synths early on and I like when the bass joins in, it's very chunky. The sax before a minute plays over top then the guitar takes over. The guitar steps aside but when it returns before 3 1/2 minutes he's ripping it up. Sax to the fore again briefly then the guitar starts to light it up once again. The synths and drums pretty much are non-stop on this song. Some beautiful guitar work around 7 minutes.

"Joiwind" is a spacey, windy track provided by the synths as we also get a steady bass line. The synths start to swirl after 3 minutes and we get a beat as well. "Neoplasme" features some nasty bass lines as the drums pound away. The guitar is grinding it out here as well. A spacey calm after a minute as the drums and bass continue. The guitar is back quickly though and there's sax before 2 1/2 minutes. "Sortie De Bain" is the longest song at over 10 1/2 minutes. A beat as the guitar and sax share the lead throughout this one. An impressive display put on by these guys. The synths add depth here. The tempo changes here often as well. "Plage 2" is the short closing track where the synths dominate along with the bass. Love the synths on this one.

This was such an enjoyable listen each time I put it on. If your a fan of guitar driven music you should check this one out. A solid 4 stars.