Demian Clav are a gothic band formed in 2006 in the city of Nantes in France by LSK (vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Aurélien Chevalier (lead guitar), who left the band in September 2009. Later on LSK met JCW (drums, cello) who joined the band in 2009 and later that same year they recorded and released their debut Nightfall Prayers (see review) followed by Wisteria Lodge (2011). Now two years later their third album Adrift appeared. The musicians that were responsible for the music on Adrift are D. Clavreul, formerly known as LSK on vocals, guitar and keyboards, J.C. Wintrebert, formerly known as JCW on drums, keyboards and cello, and J.Y. Brard on bass. Furthermore several guest musicians have been included. You could say that this third album is a dark, poetic tale of fragility and frustration; a dark musical epic divided into nine very different creations. It ranges from a French story told against the background of a plaintive cello and strings to psychedelic rock with loud sounding drums, synthesizers and rhythmic wave samples. You might describe the music of Demian Clav as a mixture of French chansons, classical and ambient music, and gothic and progressive rock. The songs are mostly rather laid-back and mellow. It's not easy to mention related acts to the music of this band. When you listen to the spoken parts in French and English it's hard to deny that these parts could have been taken from the albums Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) recorded. However, occasionally an album as The Wall (1979) crossed my mind as well, mainly due to the same kind of atmospheres and soundscapes. But also acts like Karda Estra and No-Man could possibly be regarded as musical references. Demian Clav remains a unique band that clearly is preoccupied with song structures and instrumental combinations. Their kind of dark music is certainly not easy to digest for the average music lover, but if you take the time to listen to the music more often, you might discover that there's a lot to enjoy. However, you have to be in the right mood for it! Anyway, Adrift is still a strong effort that could appeal to many devotees of progressive rock music. *** Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
