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Despite Guardian Angels incorporates all of the staples of a great prog rock album, including lush instrumentation, odd time signatures, sharp tempo changes, well balanced, omnipresent keyboards with hammond, moog and mellotron tones, mesmerizinc compositions impeccably interpreted, highly cohesive, never going overboard on the symphonic side, and with Michel St-Père’s elegant and tasteful guitar work throughout. The album as a whole flows incredibly well between the vocal and instrumental components.
The musical themes explored on this album range from medieval sounds inspired by Alan Parsons, to snappy and energetic rock compositions, all the way to soaring melodic symphonic prog rock, and features a well-balanced mix of ballads and rhythmic compositions, with strong classic progressive rock roots, but sill remakably original and refreshing.
Highlights are the excellent instrumental compositions Oude Kerk I & II featuring fantastic guitar solos and a great rhythm section, and the stunning Little Anne showcasing Sylvain’s melodious vocals, with a serene intro that builds into a lofty crescendo. There are no long epics on Despite Guardian Angels, with track lengths ranging between 3 and 9 minutes, a total of 11 tracks clocking at 73 minutes.
What a wonderful new musical discovery! Fans of highly melodic symphonic progressive music will enjoy this new album thoroughly.
Beyond the Amstel
Haunted Nights
The Last Journey
Oude Kerk I
Lights and Bridges
Little Anne
If by Morning
Oude Kerk II
Write Your Name
Salvation
Garden of Dust
Sylvain Descôteaux – vocals
Michel St-Père (Mystery) – guitars
Pascal Lapierre – keyboards
Michel Joncas – bass, bass pedals, keyboards
William Régnier – drums, percussion
Mark Vermeule – guitar solo on Oude Kerk I
Huis – Despite Guardian Angels (2014) lossless
