reviews

Raphael L. Genovese

for

Mangowave Magazine

December 2023

In 1982, German musician Eleonore Pongratz decided to leave the Hard Rock and Prog Rock band that she had been part of since 1978.

Not only did she leave the band, she furthermore hung up her instruments and let music sit for quite a while. Years and decades have passed, until something woke up underneath the ashes. But it was no phoenix that arose, it was The Raven.

The re-birth of Eleonore Pongratz as a musician has taken place in 2021, when the online project Aliènor came to life. Aliènor’s first full-length release is called The Raven, and it features twelve international guest musicians on eight tracks written and performed by Aliènor. With the grace of a bird, Aliènor floats through Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock and Hard Rock without ever touching the soil. It is a re-birth of timeless sound, a heavy score of freedom, peace and self-determination.