Quetzal is a French band playing Instrumental Progressive Rock that manages to bring classic sounds into a modern context. The debut album entitled “Quetzal” was released on April 25, 2024 via Musea Parallele and contains 7 tracks ranging from 3 to almost 10 minutes in length. An interplay of keyboards and electric guitar opens ‘Amazona,’ a track that immediately immerses us in the band’s sound. The intensity increases as the track progresses, developed with a solid and elaborate rhythm section, with a more symphonic first part that then evolves into a musical crescendo. The sounds incorporate heavier elements in the second part, with distorted guitar riffs and interesting organ solo inserts. The tempo changes are an added bonus to the band’s soud, which concludes with a soft piano section before returning to more Heavy Prog sounds. A melancholic guitar arpeggio opens “Quiscale” with a 90s Prog imprint and fine Mellotron background. Between tempo changes and keyboard solo cues, the track evolves pleasantly, enveloping the listener and leading him to explore keyboard-driven Prog sounds, finding the point of union between classic and modern. “Genese” is a track where acoustic guitar intertwines with keyboard melodies, offering a prolonged phrasing with positive melodies. Here too, the band develops the track with continuous tempo changes and a sound that manages to unite the various eras of Prog, even offering a good electric guitar cue in the finale. We are halfway through the tracklist with “Pithui” the longest in duration, coming in at almost 10 minutes. A long introductory section with acoustic guitar and keyboards slowly immerses us in the Simphonic Prog sounds of this epic track. The keyboards are the protagonists, with extended solo inserts, technical and elaborate, then incorporating more technical and heavy elements at the same time. The band explores more modern sounds with Heavy guitar riffs, always keeping the focus on their own style and keyboards driving the sound. The second part of the song is more Symphonic, with softer sounds and openings with acoustic guitar and keyboards. The song ends with a musical crescendo between electric guitar riffs and keyboards and a rhythm section that explores more Heavy and modern Prog sounds. “Colombinae” is the album’s shortest and most delicate track, creating dreamy atmospheres through acoustic guitar arpeggios and keyboards. A track that softens the tone and flows pleasantly for its three-minute duration. The gentle sound of nature and birds characterises the intro of “Harpie,” developed with guitar arpeggios that soon evolve into a granitic prog theme with a change. The rhythm section is solid and elaborate and is enriched with well-constructed tempo changes, while in the first part the guitar takes the lead with solo interventions. A track of over 7 minutes where the band uses the entire duration to explore the different facets that characterise the sound. Classic Progressive Rock, forays into Folk, Symphonic passages and others more energetic and Heavy. An interesting mixture of genres and styles, and between the past and present of the genre, vaortise the band’s compositional and performing technique. The album ends with “Paruline,” a track with a softer, dilated sound in the first part. The intensity increases with the flow of the song in a continuous crescendo with pompous keyboard melodies, a solid rhythm section and guitar solos. A good debut for this band that offers an instrumental sound with prominent keyboards and interesting guitar inserts. The rhythm section is solikda and at times elaborate, developing, especially in the longer tracks, themes rich in ideas and qulity. A mixture of classical sounds and forays into modern Prog, with hints of 90s bands, especially in the sound and atmosphere. A good, enjoyable listen, recommended for lovers of instrumental Progressive Rock with references to the sounds of the second half of the 70s and a modern touch.
Tracklist
01. Amazona (5:35)
02. Quiscale (4:39)
03. Genese (3:25)
04. Pithui (9:56)
05. Colombinae (3:12)
06. Harpie (7:25)
07. Paruline (4:39)
Lineup
Christian Laur / Guitars
Daniel Borrego / Bass
Frederic Schneider / Keyboards, Synth bass
Denis Louvel / Drums
