“A very good one where Froese's gang offers a good EM with a rather rock vision”
1 The Gate of Saturn 8:32
2 Logos 2011 6:36
3 Cool at Heart 2011 6:23
4 The End of Bondage 5:31
5 Vernal Rapture 7:22
(CD /DDL 34:24) (V.F.)
(E-Rock)
Distributed during the UK show at The Lowry in Manchester on May 28th, THE GATE OF SATURN is the 4th edition of the CupDisc series. A very good one where Froese's gang offers a good EM with a rather rock approach with 2 superb new tracks, among which the percussive Vernal Rapture, in addition to 2 quite good re-interpretations of the Dream's catalog.
With its soft and strange melody that seeks to hatch from a dark and hesitant structure, The Gate of Saturn presents an intro that bathes in an ambience torn by the darkness of cosmos and gothic spirits. The pace is slow and gloomy, supported by a fine sequencer movement that wisely gallops with muted percussions beneath layers of hybrid synth that separate the melodic approach from the gothic mysticism and the dark space poetry. At times, there is a crescendo effect with a more insistent and heavier sequencer movement which draws cascading arches floating between the spectral ambiences of heavy synth blasts and a cadence that undulates with a restrained frenzy in an ambience of mystery. Logos 2011 offers the melodious segment of Logos with this rhythm drawn of keyboards chords running in loops and at high speed to split on long synth solos. A good extract which offers nothing new except that it is Froese-nized with mellotron layers and choirs a little warmer than usual. Still as beautiful and delicate as on Melrose, Cool at Heart 2011 enjoys better arrangements on this version which offers a depth that was not present on Melrose. The End of Bondage is the kind of track to hook on immediately with its frenzied rhythm. A rhythm provided by heavy and frenetic sequences scrolling on a linear movement surrounded by very versatile synth layers and solos which float between layers and more aggressive passages. Vernal Rapture is a runaway success among the TDOC (Tangerine Dream Online Club) members ...and with good reason. It's a fiery track that starts with sequences and chords bouncing and clashing in a static hesitation, before being absorbed little by little by lazy synth strings. A riff is heard in the distance and gives a new direction to the music which becomes a fiery electronic rock where limpid chords and hyperactive sequences split into furious minimalist doublings in what can be called a frenetic electronic rock where sinuous solos that seem to never end embrace this unbridled cadence. A cadence that calms down a bit around the 5th minute. A sweet interlude where superb chords and glass sequences hammer out a rhythm frozen in its beauty, while percussive sirens gyrate violently over this splendid hyper melodious interlude, making THE GATE OF SATURN the most percussive CupDisc since Purple Diluvial.
Sylvain Lupari (September 19th, 2011) ****½*
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