THE SOUND OF THE SEVENTH BELL

RED SAND, known personally in 2005 with'Gentry 'released their 10th album, more and more distant from neo to Marillion. Simon Caron, an absolute Rothery fan, had even slipped down nicely with the sound of Pink Floyd on their last album; reminiscences of Camel, IQ or Pendragon can be found there. We are dealing with a concept album based on the seven deadly sins, mixed by Michel St-Père (Mystery) on beautiful progressive rock melodies.

'The Sound of the Seventh Bell, Part 1' bell at the start as a memory of 'The Division Bell', a haunting dreamlike ballad, monolithic melodic neo-symphonic rock decked out with a deep and airy guitar solo and an imposing drums. 'Reichenbach' for an acoustic instrumental that starts halfway through a sensitive explosion bordering on spleen; orchestral beauty as a backdrop. 'Insatiable' and his electro overture, a bit on Keane, the loud voice as on the Jon & Vangelis association; a title with many breaks in the neo vein, their own, far from Marillion or Pink Floyd from the last album; synthetic rhythm, warm effective phrasing and incisive solos, here's it for a long river track, the voice reminiscent of the Beach Boys, the soaring rock dance, the psyche pop, a little Andalusian spaghetti, a little Alan Parsons. 'Breathing' and the bucolic ballad with a cotton wool voice, a drums that give the rhythm to dance arm in arm, the final solo melancholy and filled with hope.

'The Sound of the Seventh Bell, Part 2' with symphonic intro on piano, aerial guitar and the sound of the great Genesis: its alluring synths, a Camel-like tune in the middle that sends on the progressive ethereal nimbuses, the title of the 'album in my opinion with its air which imprints itself in the head; final as in the intro of the first piece. 'The Sound of the Seventh Bell, Part 3' with a bucolic acoustic interlude time to rest, calm before 'Cracked Road' centerpiece of more than 20 minutes: intro where Gilmour invites himself, voice after 7 minutes of intro hovering over Camel and Pink Floyd; halfway through it's more psychedelic like 'Animals' with this airy 60's pop guitar; in short, drawers galore combining various influences for a thunderous melody. A finale that never ends with the guitar juggling drums, bass and keyboards. 'I Can Feel It' and the extra-track on vinyl for a syrupy slow with organ from the time when balls existed in the deep countryside, personal memory where I heard 'A whiter shade of pale' resonate and where I ' understood that the music was going to follow me for a long time.

RED SAND offers us a conscientious album surfing between dreamlike and majestic moments, varying musical themes such as stories of sins, swindles, pedophilia, cruelty, abuse; a sound that becomes singular, unique, which finally departs from Simon's musical precepts and which ultimately gives more character to this album.