format: LP
year: 1985
country: France
label: Private
#: [tba]
info: The band hailed from Tours
style: Hard Rock
Tracks
Prologue
Imagine
Violence et faits divers
Les cloches de l'enfer
Laetitia
La vierge de fer
Ponce Pilate
Ishtar vandemm et gosthal
Morphine queen
Les anges de Balthazar
If we take a strict definition of what is the heavy metal genre then this album does not belong here. I suppose the review is done because of the hype that exists in the circles of metal collectors around the name of PONCE PILATE and their one and only LP. Many may be carried away by the front cover but what I must say first is that PONCE PILATE play good progressive heavy rock influenced by the European 70s prog rock movement though their compositions are not so perplexed and technical as of the legendary groups of that period, much heavier though. They brought to my mind ANTONIUS REX from Italy without reaching the levels of mystery and darkness that AR have. Keyboard driven tracks, nice vocals and small hints of early heavy metal can draw the attention of some open minded metal fans. Its well played music and I actually find tracks like Les anges de Balthazar or Morphine queen (the piano here reminds me of Gutter ballet!) very interesting, but Im still warning: this album is not for everybody. Those who are searching for the long lost twins of SORTILEGE, BLASPHEME or ADX will have to look somewhere else.