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Univers Zero - Clivages CD (album) cover

CLIVAGES

Univers Zero

 

RIO/Avant-Prog

4.03 | 219 ratings

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Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
4 stars I'm thinking "Clivages" must mean something different in Belgium than it does over here or the album cover would be different. This latest offering from UNIVERS ZERO still really hasn't caught on with me. Sure there are some instant classics like "Warrior" , "Earth Scream" , "Straight Edge" and "Les Cercles d'Horus" but overall this is down on my list of favourite UNIVERS ZERO albums. In fact today I had a bit of a UNIVERS ZERO-fest, listening to many of their albums just to see if I was mistaken in my feelings about this one when compared to the others. I think I would rate "Heatwave" , "Implosion" and "Heresie" as my top three mainly because of my love for dark and intense music. Thankfully we get that on those four tracks I already mentioned, but there's too much lighter and classical styled music for my tastes. It's a low 4 stars for me,but that may change as I spend more time with it. There is some incredible music on this album.

"Les Kobolds" is a good example of the light styled Chamber music. Heck I would even call this light and bouncey to start and it doesn't change a whole lot throughout. "Warrior" is an amazing tune composed by Andy Kirk. Classic UNIVERS ZERO right here folks. It's dark with strange sounds and violin. Heavy drums after 1 1/2 minutes. Guitar after 4 minutes from Mr.Kirk. This sounds incredible ! Daniel is sounding really good on the drums. It settles before 7 minutes.This is dark with bassoon and bass. Experimental after 9 minutes. A great rhythm a minute later. "Vacillements" is classical sounding like the first track but better. "Earth Scream" sounds like a machine running in the dark. It becomes haunting later. I love this one. "Soubresauts" turns fairly heavy quickly but is very much chamber music. It settles with piano out front. Violins and other sounds join in too. Good tune. "Apesanteur" starts with light sounds like aboe, flute, violin and so on. Piano follows and drums.

"Three Days" is more of the same but more intense thankfully. "Straight Edge" opens with violin before piano and light drums take over. The tempo does pick up (great section) then the sax comes in and leads around 6 minutes. It settles 7 1/2 minutes in as violin followed by these faint spoken words can be heard joining in. Dissonant horns after 10 minutes. It kicks back in after 12 minutes. "Retour De Foire" is fairly dark as it slowly moves along changing and evolving as it goes. "Les Cercles d'Horus" features some guest cello and drumming (Daniel's son Nicolas?). Heavy drums to open as dark piano comes in. Violin and other sounds also join in as this plays out slowly. Piano ends it.

UNIVERS ZERO fans won't be disappointed.

Mellotron Storm | 4/5 |

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