FRAT3R

Oh my god! This is neo prog heaven! I did not know this swiss band previous works during the 90´s but, boy, did they come back in 2019 with a blast! You know a good CD when it is sung with a language you don´t really understand (in this case, french) and still the music moves you deeply. Everything you could expect from a neo prog band is here in spades: great melodies, emotional delivering of both vocal and instrumental parts, superb performances. I was knock out by their strong material and playing, specially by Pierre-Yves Theurillat unique and sensitive interpretations. The guy knows how to put emotion on a song! While most proggers here on PA may criticize the band for the lack of long instrumental jams or unusual , zany stuff, to me this is exactly their forte. The band writes great compact songs that don´t overstay their welcome. Everything fits right in. Most important, they sound like no one else, having their very own style. Their early stuff might be a little derivative, so I heard. But here they have produced some very original music.

Backed by a crystal clear production, Frat3r is a superb CD, easily one of my top 3 albums of 2019. Ok, some songs are better than others, but none is below the very good mark. And at least two tracks, Kim and the 9 minute Stone are simply brilliant tunes that I can never get enough of them. They are worth the price of the record alone. One of the few albums lately that I like to hear from star to finish with almost the same pleasure throughout.

Rating: 4,5 stars, no less. If you´re into killer melodies and not caring for musicians showing off, this is highly recommended!