AU-DELÀ DU DÉLIRE

I agree with all those who claim this album as the artistic pinnacle in Ange's long career. Following in the same path of theatrical emotion and somber ambience that had established the overall musical essence of their previous album, "Au-Dela du Delire" sees the band expanding their sonic pallet with a more abundant display of keyboard orchestrations (mostly mellotron layers and organ harmonics) and a tighter interplay shared fluidly by all musicians. Brezovar's guitar parts are stronger and more exulting than ever, and so is the solid foundation laid down by the rhythm section. Meanwhile, Christian Decamps displays his singing with the usual varied level of dramatic flavours - his first lines for the opening track are simply unforgettable. Speaking of which, 'Godevin le Vilain' makes a very attractive entry, something like a brief tale of old that warms the listener's ears up before the emergence of all the heavier stuff that's to come afterwards. 'Les Longues Nuits d'Isaac' is an amazing rocker, where the guitar fills and the mellotron layers get linked together in a marriage of eerie magic and electric energy; later, this same ambience is properly enhanced with supreme inventiveness in 'Exode' - whose concluding climax is reinforced by a most amazing guitar solo -, and the catchy 'Fils de Lumiere' (one definite classic in Ange's history). On the bleakest side of things, 'Si J'etais le Messie' consists of an anti-clerical recitation accompanied by a somber deconstructive instrumentation - clearly, a reminder of the oppressive grandeur of the most accomplished passages of "Le Cimitiere des Arlequins". 'La Bataile du Sucre' combines the best of both worlds, that is, the sinister vibration of "Cimitiere" and the multicolored spectrum that functions as a main focus for this album. Showing that they own a lucid sense of drama, after the delirious explosion of track 3, there comes a beautiful acoustic ballad titled 'Ballade pour une Orgie': despite the lustful implications of its title, it is actually a delicate mix of folkish sensibility and baroque elegance, portraying an air of gentle intimacy. It is the title track which closes down the album. Its first section is an exercise in troubadour-like acoustic prowess, with some subtle exotic twists conveyed on the organ chord progressions, while the final section is pure symphonic brightness, very much in the vein of early King Crimson and "Nursery Cryme" Genesis - once again, Brezovar's guitar shines like a sun in the apex of summer. I've got nothing else to say about this excellent album, except that it sure deserves a featured place in any good prog collection.