Thork - We-ila

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Independent
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 66:32:00

This review is excerpted from Clayton's October 31, 2004 The Prog Life column found here. To refresh your memory, every CD that [was reviewed in the article received] a score in each of five categories: Songwriting, Performance, Vocals, Recording Quality, and Packaging. The scores are from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, unless you count 11, which you can't because the scores can only go up to 10. -ed.

Songwriting: 8
Performance: 9
Vocals: 8
Recording Quality: 8
Packaging: 9

Although the group's name sounds King Crimsonish, Thork, a French band, plays a dark, atmospheric type of prog that, if it weren't for the French lyrics, might make one think of the gloomier of the Scandanavian groups. The songs transition between walls of guitar bludgeons to mellower passages and back again, all within a single piece. Some of the quieter passages invoke Italian prog, but, in case you haven't figured out by my stumbling descriptions, Thork boasts a mostly original sound. The vocalist, S?bastien Penel, belts out the lyrics with an often operatic delivery that, again, reminds one of Italian prog. The musicians behind him -- Michel Lebeau on drums, S?bastien Fillion on keys, Claire Northey on violin, David Maurin on guitar and flute, and Samuel Maurin on bass and Chapman stick -- pour forth complex and passionate performances -- often on the level of masters like Gentle Giant -- that match Lebeau's skill. Lots of long tracks, one over 20 minutes. All in all, We-ila is a professional production all the way, featuring great recording and top-notch packaging. Very cool stuff and highly recommended.

www.myspace.com/thorkmusic


Tracklisting:
L'origine (11:40) / Delectable Ennui (9:07) / Errance -(1:07) / Ea (21:18) / Errances (1:04) / Danse De La Terre (10:48) / Immanence (11:26)

Musicians:
Michel LeBeau - drums
Sebastien Fillion - keyboards, programming
Claire Northey - violin
David Maurin - guitars, flute
Samuel Maurin - basses, Stick, synthesizers, vocals
Sebastien Penel - vocals

Additional musicians:
Antoine Aureche - guitars
Roselyne Berthet - vocals
Renaud Burdin - percussion
Sebastien LaCroix - sitar, dilruba
Stephane LaGarde - tabla
Ian-Elfinn Rosiu - cello

Discography:
Urdoxa (2000)
We-ila (2004)
Nula Jedan (2007)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IT

Added: October 31st 2004
Reviewer: Clayton Walnum
Score:
Artist website: thork.free.fr
Hits: 2107
Language: english