I know I’m in the minority here, but I love Lion Music. I’ve heard some great, out of the ordinary stuff through this label, and although some people might see Lion’s bands as pompous, outlandish, or even “tinky-winky”, at the very least their artistic approach is genuine and not fabricated like other labels in denial of their own immaturity. They sign bands that other labels wouldn’t touch, and I give them their props for that.

Onto the music: France’s HAUTEVILLE is another good example of the audacity and class that Lion bands are known for. The approach on “Relief Data Incomplete” is deeply rooted in the AOR with a considerable amount of laid-back groove to it—similar to what THE GATHERING has been doing for their past couple albums only with more mature musicianship as opposed to the psychedelic. What makes this formula work is the cornerstone of the band’s sound: singer Lydie Gosselin, who blends perfectly with the music and manages to sound beautiful but not “sickeningly cute” and stands out without being overly predominant. Musically, everything sounds pretty clean with just a touch of the electronic (the symphonic/guitar shred outro of the title track is about as heavy as this album gets), but the frequent key changes and clever hooks keep things from getting too safe. Some standout tracks are the COLLECTIVE SOUL-reminiscent “From Adam to Atom”, the catchy opus “The Perfect Lens”, and the eclectic finish of “Reflection” and “There Be Dragons”. By the way, more props need to be awarded to HAUTEVILLE for completely steering clear of the problem that plagues so many non-English speaking bands (and this is so commendable that it needs to be typed in all caps): THEY HAVE SOMEONE ELSE WRITING THEIR LYRICS! Why more foreign bands that expect to be taken seriously don’t do this is one of the greatest mysteries of our day.

To the PDM faithful, not to worry: I'm not planning on getting rid of my DEATH and NILE CDs and going soft on ya. Still, a daring album like “Relief Data Incomplete” is just what the doctor ordered to cure the same old, same olds. Give it a shot. Oh, and Lion Music, at least I don’t hate you!

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: http://groupehauteville.free.fr/

RELATED ITEMS: No related articles at this time.