REALM OF POSSIBILITIES

A talented and young French band , Moonshine Blast has made a quantum leap forward in their short career, as their debut 2018 "Reality Fear" certainly showed a lot of promise, mixing modern progressive workouts with more pop/rock tendencies, a common occurrence with inaugural releases. With this album, the foursome rightfully and confidently shored up and tightened their focus, with a more linear style that, frankly, blew me away on first listen, talk about maturity! The quartet has keyboardist and lead vocalist Nicolas Duke shining throughout , Gabin Rock handling the electric guitar chores as well as backing vocals, all held together by a robust rhythm section of Renaud Lyabastre and the impeccable syncopation of Thomas Zecchinon. Any band getting support help from such luminary legends as Colin Edwin and Pat Mastelotto is a stamp of approval that should never go unnoticed. Obviously, the tracks have familiar influences that jump out at the listener, being easily detectable, so I won't bother mentioning them, just think of a stranded volleyball. A dozen tracks spanning 75 minutes, 'wait for the ricochet'. Note : both Moonshine Blast album covers are absolutely stunning , this one especially so.

The title track sets the tone, the key feature of most prog albums, a four-minute rumble into the intensity of muscular rock music, the guitars and drums in perfect unison, Duke's piano adding a tertiary alliance, giving the moody piece a tremendous amount of throttle and thrust. Gabin's whirlwind solo only accentuates the immediacy of a fantastic chorus, built up by ever-elevating verses that, all combined into a solid mass, just seals the deal. As tasty as that was, wait until you feast your ears on the spectacular "Cruel Immission", a world-class ambiance that spotlights a sure-handed piano and a vocal that would consecrate the 'dread of any empty sphere' (synonym time!). The initially forlorn mood eventually develops into murkier realms, the Gabin fretwork in particular rasping like a turbo charged engine in furious mode. The 7 plus minutes could have gone on much longer, it was that entrancing.

Panting vocals are not always well rendered, but on "Only You", the contrast between the chaotic wordings and the smooth as silk chorus is pure genius. A catchy, in your face, radio-friendly and toe-tapping tune that comes across as a statement of maturity in confidence. It's also to the point and brief.

Influences really step up to the front of the stage on "No Exit", as Nicolas hushed intonations invoke past comfort zones, a no-nonsense 'Pineapple Tree' emotion (ok, so I cheated, sue me), and just when you expect a somber dive into an abyss, the opposite is offered, a breezy and uber-melodic chorus superbly delivered with both verve and authority, Duke is on fire here, proving the case with a delirious multi-layered synth spot.

The two part "Liquid Feels" dominates 8+ minutes, and as such, forms the heavy prog section of the album, I daresay the core, the initial part 1 broods in sonic despondence, with geometrically smooth bass grumbling and some wide guitar slashes , that briefly accelerate into sub-sonic spaces, acting like thrusters focused on vectors. The quartet valiantly tackles tectonic criss-crossing riffs, erupting volcanic beats, and a raging vocal display that will make anyone's blood boil. This then morphs into the second part, acting as an interim instrumental platform , showing off both coherence to the initial mode, as well as intricate musicianship, as we witness the piano and bass lovingly embrace (poetry again), the Gabin guitar acrobatically pirouetting like a lean gymnast and Zecchinon bashing his kit with glee. Simply breathtaking.

It comes as no surprise that a change of attitude is called for , and "Broken Arrow" delivers the goods in spades, a jazzier fragrance within a more conventional format, circular rhythms and melodic lines, easy to follow and simpler to enjoy, with a joyful sing-along quality that shows reverence to past glories of rock music in general (I am thinking along the lines of Traffic), another extensive synthesizer flurry to prickle the ears is most welcome. Loved the audacity to pull this off. Definitely a highlight track among so many!

Get the motor running , head up on the autoroute, "Strangled" has a tinge of punk nastiness, as wrath, frustration and sweat unite to oil up the fretboards, raise the volume on the amps, let Zecchinon beat the living crap out of his skins and Duke yelling like Huw Cornwell in the early days of the Stranglers (coincidence in the title?, non!). A barn- burning rebel scream in the night.

On the thrilling "Fractal" , the rowdy bass guitar takes the concrete lead, blasting moonshine everywhere, a deceptive introduction that will morph into echoing background choirs offering a neo-Gothic cathedral experience, a brusque synthesizer sortie scouring the space between the dome and the arches. The clever detailing is more than welcome, as these four lads sure know how to keep things exciting and adventurous, expertly navigating temper and circumstance, melody and rhythm, a river of constant change within well-defined contextual architecture. Throw in a gloriously expressive voice that never disappoints, and you wave the flag of surrender as far as any potential negatives are concerned. I could stop here and give my 5 stars without hesitation, but there is another 28 minutes of tremendous music left in the tank. Well, seven years is a long time, after all.

"Under Control" emanates a modern sheen that is undeniable, far from retro or cliché, just an insane vocal delivery again with all sorts of electronic accoutrements meant to carefully camouflage the inner rage at the controlling machine, a powerful rejection of the algorithmic dictator that permeates out tools. Fiery guitar sparkles amid mellotron waves can do no wrong.

Now I did warn you about premature climax, as the leviathan 16-minute epic shows up on "The Cell", a piece that you are not allowed to listen to on your phone, as your battery may fry. This convulsive chef-d'oeuvre captures the entire essence of this album as well as the development of the players involved. It possesses all the prerequisites of potential fame in the prog world. Impeccable pacing and preparation, blending all kinds of ingredients into the mix, but at a restrained pace, so as the flavours can permeate both the body and the soul, and creating a composition that encompasses so many prog standards. The entire scope is futuristic, cinematic, organic, eccentric and electronic, unrelenting in its grasp of various hi-tech tendencies, and deadly serious in its deliverance. Urgently passionate, verging on swelling delirium, the arrangement never falters for even one iota, the insistent synths doing nothing else but consolidating the groove. The ambient moments come along as panacea, a medicated form of atonement of past sins, yet still yearning for release. This is one of the finest 2025 epics and we are only halfway through the year. One is completely caught by surprise as the final section enhances a sense of imminent liberation, a breezy, joyful and exuberant vocal and guitar phrasing that throws away the punishing key for evermore. Free at last.

After all the emotional warfare , a bucolic acoustic ballad arrives as a blessing ,"When the Wind Blows" is prettiness incarnate, a ballad of majestic melodic proportions, a vocal duet of crushing simplicity. Mellotron enters only to highlight the chorus, all fragility and swoon. As fine a song as one can hope for.

5 Empires of Options

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