Au-Delà Du Délire

Album review

With two studio recordings under their belt (the 1972 Caricatures and the 1973 Le Cimetière des Arlequins), Ange struck artistic gold with Au-Delà du Délire. All the elements came together this time, producing France's best symphonic progressive rock album of the 1970s. Christian Decamps' medieval imagery (echoed in the music by occasional minstrel-type folk song structures) is assisted this time around by Biblical themes, something noticeable in the song titles. His voice is not the only center of attention anymore, as instrumental passages take more room and arrangements become more intricate. "Exode" actually takes off when the verse is over and the guitar and Mellotron start working on an instrumental crescendo. The pastoral "Ballade Pour Une Orgie" ("Ballad for an Orgy") is the lightest track, along with the almost pop "Fils de Lumière" ("Son of Light"). The other tracks are darker and very substantial. The soft piano and violin intro of the opener "Godevin le Vilain" ("Godevin the Villain") leads into a full-blown bombastic song. "Les Longues Nuits d'Isaac" ("Isaac's Long Nights") is heavy on guitars and is the rockiest number Ange played in these first years of existence. "Si J'Étais le Messie" ("If I Were the Messiah") is a showcase for Christian Decamps' theatrical talents, his soliloquy being backed by minimal musical flooring. Au-Delà du Délire also contains two theatrical pieces that would become classic material: "La Bataille du Sucre," the story of a time when there was no sugar left on Earth, a piece complete with characters played by each member of the band, and "Au-Delà du Délire" which culminates in a anthemic instrumental section with one of Jean-Michel Brézovar's best guitar solos. On this album, Ange developed a heavy, dark, and bombastic sound (thanks to the Mellotron) they will partly abandon afterwards, as the transitional album Émile Jacotay exemplifies. But Au-Delà du Délire had such an impact on the French market that the label Philips reissued it on CD in a budget-price collection along with titles by songwriters like Jacques Brel, Georges Moustaki, and Serge Reggiani.

© François Couture /TiVo