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Jean-Pierre Louveton - Sapiens Chapter 1/3: Exordium CD (album) cover

SAPIENS CHAPTER 1/3: EXORDIUM

Jean-Pierre Louveton

 

Crossover Prog

3.90 | 89 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ElChanclas
4 stars As the album title states, this is the first chapter of the Sapiens trilogy and 9th studio album by French multi instrumentalist Jean-Pierre Louveton, and is my point of entry to his solo work.

The all instrumental Mastodontes opens the album with some horns & string arrangements bringing the first heavy and memorable metal riff, outstanding doom-like track with magnificent instrumentation.

Homo Sapiens smartly blends in and represents the first challenge for me, the vocals are in French! Don't worry, it really doesn't matter because the music is so bloody amazing that it makes the whole thing look, sound and feel appealing. Middle eastern guitar licks emerge from Louveton guitars and deposits the first hook. BTW, he also plays bass guitar and does all arrangements in this album, my god!

Ecce Homo is the 2nd instrumental track of the album and is more evidence of this guy's excellent song crafting and is also the perfect bridge for the next highlight, A Condition, one of my favorite songs here. Rocker, jazzy, bluesy, heavy, memorable, catchy, melodic, immense! It also kind of works as prelude to the unearthly Le Chaud et Le Froid, my definite favorite! This amazing song has everything I crave on in progressive rock with a little downside with the female narrative vocals, which kind of remind me of those on Eloy's Dawn, thank god in this case much less pungent. The Gaelic harmonizing between the piano, the bagpipes and guitars is simply fenomenal, enough to fall in love forever with the album.

And when you think that it just can't get better, Mr. Louveton unleashes his finest artillery and presents another set of twin tracks in Planetè A and the album closer Alpha Centauri. Back in the game are the heavy riffing, flawlessly layered to welcome the fat bass and intricate drumming and soundscape arrangements, How can it be possible? (That's why I think I hear him singing in French, coincidence?)

Epic seems like something very familiar with this guy, that's how he treats his music, like epic music because the whole album is totally epic and this ending is proof of that statement. Honorable mention to drummer Jean Baptiste Itier who sounds enormous and amazing throughout the whole trip, a perfect partner for JPL and his rhythmic creations. I can't recommend this album enough, give it a try, it is both interesting and perfect top to bottom! Enjoy!

ElChanclas | 4/5 |

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