| CD REVIEW Cyril Achard |
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Band : Cyril Achard Been a while since I heard something from this french guitarist, namely from his 2001 album …In Inconstancia Constans (first issued through Polo Music in France, it was given a worldwide distribution by Lion Music in Jan. 2002. Regrettably, that’s too far away in Concrete Web’s past (which has since suffered two computer crashes), so why not give you a short history of this rather versatile guitarist? Cyril first makes himself being heard of, when he replaces Sylvain Gouvernaire (leaving for London to record Isis’ self-titled instrumental album with two members of Marillion) in French Progressive Rock act Arrakeen…with whom he records the 1992 album Mozaique. Following the tour in support of that album however, the disillusioned band splits, not having been able to make their mark in the music scene of those days! I ain’t sure what things Cyril occupied himself with in the between time, but in 1996 he records his first solo album Confusion, an album which would be re-issued in 2002 with 3 bonus tracks. Before that, however, came the …In Inconstantia Constans album, a collaboration with drummer Eric Lebaillie, bassist Franck Hermany (these two from French act Adagio), singer Patrick Peek, keyboardist Jean-Marc Layani, and boasting guest performances of Tony Macalpine. The Lion Music connection would hold, Cyril getting guest spots on albums by Taboo Voodoo (2002’s Something’s Cooking) and Mike Terrana (2005’s Man Of The World), and making contributions to a couple of tribute albums (2001’s Jason Becker Tribute – A Warmth in The Wilderness, and 2003’s Music Of Hendrix – The Spirit Lives On Vol.1 & Uli Jon Roth Tribute – Beyond Inspiration). He also contributed to the Shred Guitar album Human Nature’s Fight by Double Heart Project (2003, Brennus). But, in essence Cyril lost his heart to Jazz for a while, playing in sevveral constellations : the Sandrine Deschamps Trio (with Sandrine singing, Antoine Banville playing the drums, and Cyril playing both acoustic and electric guitar), the Cyril Achard Quartet (with Gilles Grivolla playing the sax, Lilian Bendri playing the standing bass, Fred Pasqua playing the drums, and Cyril playing acoustic and electric guitar – this quartet released a 2003 album titled Essensuel on Crystal Records), the Cyril Achard Duo (with drummer Fred Pasqua) and eventually The Cyril Achard Trio (again with Pasqua and a bassist by the name of Bencini – with whome he releases the Trace album on Lion Music late 2007, early 2008). Violencia sees Achard return with Lebaillie and Hermany for a new Instrumental Rock album. Now you’re free to feel differently, but to my personal taste both bassist and drummer are in a secundary role here, mainly there to give Achard the basics he needs to bring his many riffs upon, making this an album for a guitarist to shine. And frankly, there’s more than one passage where the unpracticed listener will get the impression that Achard simply gave the others a cue to work on, pushed the record button, and shook a set of riffs and leads from his thoughts at random. Now I have no problem with improvisation stuff…but as a guitarist you can’t shoot off at the moon without keeping check of what the other musicians are up to. You need eye contact to make signals to each other, urging to pick up pace, or the opposite, and in the case of many moments on this album, it almost seems like Achard was playing with a bag over his head, obvlivious of the world and his fellow players. A harsh assessment? Perhaps, but I didn’t say exactly that I didn’t like, right!? It’s just, I hàve heard better from Achard. Weirdly enough, when checking Achard’s MySpace page (myspace.com/cyrilachard), I found out the guitarist doesn’t even have any music off this album posted there! In stead, the music posted is from an upcoming acoustic solo album titled Mayrig. There’s some music from his Jazz outings on his own website pagesperso-orange/cyrilachard (nó “www.” in front!), but I’m afraid that for some audio off this very album you’ll have to wait until the label posts the album at Amazon.com, at which point you’ll at least be able to listen to some samples! 85/100 Tony. |