The first four tracks are original recordings from Incubus' 1974 material, featuring guitarist Pierre Poulet.It is a great example of keyboard-driven Progressive Rock with dense musicianship and a very dark atmosphere, somewhat reminiscent of E.L.P.'s well-structured themes or LE ORME's more complex arrangements.The compositions are led by huge Hammond organ moves supported by fantastic Mellotron waves, eventually creating a very sinister and bombastic atmosphere.This grandiose material is often supported by occasional heavy guitar riffing, making the overall sound even more powerful.The track ''Teeth'' even has some great synth moves, which, combined with the organ and the Mellotron, produce a very rich soundscape. band of the same name, recorded at Red Tube Studio in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada. Originally named Incubus, this band from Quebec was found in 1970 by Leo England (drums), Michel Phaneuf (keyboards), Andre Deguire (guitar/vocals) and Luc Giroux (bass), but disbanded in 1971.A few months later England and Phaneuf reformed Incubus with Mark Delage on bass, joined in 1973 by guitarist Pierre Poulet.They even had the chance to record an album at the Strawberry Studios in Herouville, France, in 1974, having a fantastic equipment, which was never released, as Incubus disbanded for good the same year.Some 30 years later England, Phaneuf and Delage gave birth again to Incubus, releasing ''Memoires Incubussiennes'' in 2008, now as Excubus to avoid legal issues with the L.A. Posted Saturday, | Review this album | Report (Review #1181679) Maybe the 2011 follow-up to this showed more alacrity and maturity, but I would only suggest this Creepy andĭungeonesque 'Pendergast' with its cheesy vampire theme is the longest thing here at nine minutesĪnd is good but not great, with closer 'A Child's Funeral' leaving us still a bit peckish.ĮxCubus, formerly Incubus, were a perfectly fine heavy symph band but they leave us wanting more. Marc Delage's not-too-bad singing and clear evidence of Britain's folkrock boom during the band'sįirst incarnation, as on 'Apple Tree Paradise' and sister piece 'Tales of the Tree'. Up next are the sessions from 2007-'08 with the same good fidelity, the difference being bassist 'Parade de l'Armee de verre' is more cohesive and finally gets the progressiveīall rolling with the disc's first real composition, a decent 5 1/2 minute faux Baroque bit, butĪgain opportunities are missed by treating next track 'Teeth' as a separate animal instead of part With Mike Phaneuf's coupling of a Hammond with a nice Arp sound, 'Bléatis' could be confused for anĮarly but less developed and polished ELP, and 'Abomination d'une quarte de triton', which would'veīeen more effective tacked onto the opener, is left hanging a bit, both cuts sounding more like Pleasing, and Mémoires incubussiennes proved one of the better vintage releases of the year. Oldies and re-recording some newies with help from a couple extra ax players.
Many bands were during prog's heyday in the early 1970s, reconvened in '07 toward releasing some Matter and all the better, I mean it's music not literature. You know you've got some good old-fashioned pompous prog when the notes are strictly in French. In 2011 they released their second album ''Lagauchetière''. The band continues as a quintet, with Claude PHANEUF (guitars) and André BARRIERE (guitar) joining the original trio from POLYGONE. Before reforming, the three original members (ENGLAND, PHANEUF and DELAGE) worked in other prog acts such as SAD, IGOR and POLYGONE. Splitting in late 1971 and reforming shortly after, ENGLAND and PHANEUF were joined by Marc DELAGE (guitar, bass, voices) and in 1973 by Pierre POULET (guitars).
Initially, the band consisted of Andre Deguire (guitar, vocals) and Luc Giroux (bass) along with Léo ENGLAND (drums) and Michel PHANEUF (keyboards). Strongly recommended to vintage prog collectors and Prog history buffs. Thanks to Musique Progres, those compositions along with four newly re-recorded cuts of old material will be released in late 2008 as 'Memoires Incubussiennes'. In 1974, the organist, drummer, bassist and guitarist recorded four tracks at the legendary Chateau d'Herouville in France which were never released. Another great early prog act lost to history and the musical tumult of the early 1970s, Quebec keyboard quartet ExCUBUS was one of Canada's best symphonic-era prog bands in the mold of ELP but with a rougher, more dungeon-like edge.