Nebelnest Discography of CDs

Nebelnest music CDs Third time's a charm! After a debut album that lacked production and a sophomore effort that lacked bite, the French trio has finally nailed their sound with Zepto. The songwriting has wonderfully matured, the production is just right, everything simply coalesces to push NeBeLNeST's fierce and creative music in your face. The King Crimson influence that was central to their debut has now completely vanished, replaced by a unique take on avant-prog, with shades of electric Miles ("De Thriumpho Naturae"), a noisier and grittier attitude (think Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, perhaps), and free improvisations that feel much freer (the first half of the ten-minute "Do What Thou Wilt"). Bob Drake's production on NoVa eXPReSS was a little bit too over the top, distracting from the music or even taking it apart when it most needed to show cohesion. Zepto has been recorded and mixed by keyboardist Olivier Tejedor and the results are tailor-fit to the band. Highlights include the riveting "Pillars of Birth" and "Majnuns," the short though very effective "The Thing in the Walls," and the surprisingly fusion-esque "De Triumpho Naturae," in which drummer Michäel Anselmi shows that his palette also includes lightness. The only disappointing track is "The Old Ones," which sounds like a heavier take on Djam Karet's spacey riff-based jamming. Beside that piece, Zepto is a stellar set of ballsy, thought-provoking avant-prog with a vintage touch, thanks to Tejedor's keyboard sounds. It clearly is the group's least immediately accessible release, but for all its demands, it rewards you with the most unadulterated incarnation of the band's vision. Zepto is what NeBeLNeST always tried to be, but had not quite achieved yet. Highly recommended. ~ François Couture

Nebelnest discography It's not often that a new band takes the contemporary prog-rock scene by storm, but that's exactly what French quartet Nebelnest did with their self-titled 1999 debut album. The follow-up NOVA EXPRESS picks up resolutely where that bold statement left off; the band's hard-hitting, all-instrumental approach mixes the epic grandeur of symphonic prog, the often-manic dexterity of fusion, and the doomy, angular Wagner-with-an-amplifier approach of mid-'70s King Crimson and fellow Frenchies Magma. The grinding, effects-laden guitar of Cyril Malderez plays tug-of-war with Olivier Tejedor's driving, full-throttle keyboards over a percolating rhythm section where the growling bass often threatens to rise up out of the mix and overtake the high-register lead instruments. The reigning ...

Nebelnest songs Despite some production flaws, NeBeLNeST's self-titled debut made quite an impression in progressive rock circles. The group's complex time signatures, Fripp-ish guitar, and apocalyptic intensity impress from the first listen. The obvious point of reference here is Larks' Tongues in Aspic-era King Crimson -- for the spooky atmospheres, Cyril Malderez's angular guitar parts, Gregory Tejedor's picked basslines (very John Wetton, he could be playing the instrument with a pneumatic drill in "Absinthe"), and the group's penchant for improvisation. Of the eight pieces on this album, three are improvised ...