HERE COMES THE SUN

10% 1976 BLUE 'YSTER CULT, 10% 1990 THE CURE ~1990, 20% FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM around 2004, and 60% 1992 ALICE IN CHAINS, Klone represents a very welcome if nostalgic musical hybrid all blended very much into a progressive rock package. I can only imagine the awesome power this band must pack live in concert as lead singer Yann Linger's voice must surely fill any auditorium! Even in "softer" songs like "Nebulous"--no, maybe more in softer songs like "Nebulous"--Yann's LAYNE STALEY-like voice stands out as the main attraction. It is not often that one comes across that kind of commanding presence in a front man, but Yann Linger has it--just as Layne Staley had it. (In my humble opinion, Staley was probably the most distinctive, central representative of the 1990's "grunge" movement--yes, even more than Eddie Vedder or Kurt Cobain.)

Here Comes the Sun flows with such addictive power that one cannot help but want to hear more once one has started. Just a great sound, top to bottom, with the addition of a great saxophone player and great sound engineering and production. This is surely one of the gems of 2015! It simply must be listened to in order to be believed!

Five star songs: 4. "The Drifter" (6:13) (10/10); the ALICE IN CHAINS-like 8. "Come Undone" (4:25) (10/10); 1. "Immersion" (5:11) (9/10); "Grim Dance" (5:27) (9/10), and; the instrumental 6. "Gleaming" (2:53) (9/10).

Four star songs: 9. "The Last Experience" (7:18) (8/10); 5. "Nebulous" (5:53) (8/10); 2. "Fog" (4:48), and; the POLICE "Messsage in a Bottle"-like "Gone Up in Flames" (3:59) (8/10).

B/four stars; a great contribution of progressive rock music.

4.5 stars. I may be back to bump this up. KLONE's fifth studio album from 2015 is where I got on the train and I have "Le Grande Voyage" their latest as well as their live one. Out of France this six piece has completely captivated me over the last 10 days or so. My kind of music this Heavy Prog sub genre made up here at this site. Some of my absolute all time favourite bands live here. Anyways this record is powerful, full of atmosphere, melodic with some really thoughtful lyrics in english.

The singer is the key for me as he steals the show, I love his voice. So of the six members we get two guitarists one lead the other for rhythm and atmosphere. The keyboardist adds sax but I just hear it on one track plus "systoles devices". As incredible as the music is and for me ANATHEMA came to mind the most, like a blend of their "Judgment" period with their more modern "We're Here Because We're Here". Oh yeah where was I going with that, the cover art! A surrealistic photo by Joel Robison who's site I was on and wish I had many of the hundreds of pictures I saw on my walls here at home, pretty cool mind bending pictures like this one. The music can be so uplifting and emotional but also sad and melancholic. Love the song writing, I mean what am I doing I've checked all but one song as being great, this deserves that fifth star.

Just one amazing tune after another but man I've spun this often. By the way they thank ORPHANED LAND in the liner notes, and the packaging is very well done with the lyrics present and some cool pictures etc. So I've checked 8 tracks and it's tough to come up with a top three or five. The melancholy and atmosphere is there in spades with the opener "Immersion" along with that fifth track "Nebulous". Powerful and emotional and the opener is the one I hear sax on. The closest thing to a ballad might be "Come Undone" but thankfully it doesn't slip into mediocracy but stays mid-paced. I adore the vocals here and check them out 2 minutes in and before 3 1/2 minutes as they soar with emotion.

The closer is the longest at almost 7 1/2 minutes with a lot of instrumental music featured. Maybe the best drum track as well. Quite heavy later. As much as I am so into heavy atmospheric music the second song "Fog" might be my favourite on here. Almost jazzy, much lighter and it just makes me feel that I'm glad I'm alive. So glad I discovered this band. I keep coming back to "The Drifter" while the other two tracks I'd like to mention are "Gone Up In Flames" a great Prog-Rock tune, almost like modern MARILLION. Love the chorus. And "Grim Dance" that I like a little less but man it comes across as a modern KATATONIA piece with the down-tuned guitar and vocals.

I'm not coming back to bump this up I'm doing it now. A powerful and moving album that is right up my alley. 2015 was a very good year for me music-wise.