2023
More and more, labels and bands are finding their way to my mailbox, and that delights me. Recently, I received an album from a German keyboardist, artist name: Aliènor. Her real name is Eleonore Pongratz, and an interesting story emerged from the Aliènor website. Because I enjoyed the music more than well enough, it was clear to me. This album, titled “The Raven,” must be featured on Prog & Rock.
Born in 1953, Pongratz played from ’78 to ’82 with all her heart and soul in Soft Eis, a progressive hard rock band. After leaving this band to complete her university studies, there was a deafening silence for more than thirty years. Eventually, during her retirement, she decided to pick up the thread again. After several unsuccessful attempts to join a band again, Pongratz decided to create the online project Aliènor in 2021. She set out to make an album, recorded the material gradually, and added guide vocals and other parts using various software. Through an online platform, she recruited a number of singers/musicians from around the world, and after a thorough period of mixing, producing, and mastering, the first Aliènor album, “The Raven,” went online on July 6, 2023.
The result of all her efforts is, in my opinion, an album she can be proud of. “The Raven” contains a lot of herself, both lyrically and musically. One could even argue that her philosophy is the concept of the album. All of this is evident in passionate progressive hard rock that sits somewhere between Ayreon and Camoora. The use of different male and female vocalists also gives the music a rock opera vibe.
The album opens strongly with the title track sung by Argentine Natalia Nekare. Her voice is a mix of Heather Findlay (ex-Mostly Autumn), Agnieszka Swita (Camoora), and Laura Piazzai (Imaginaerium) – clear, powerful, and enchanting. She serves as the lead vocalist frequently throughout the album, and that is no punishment. Musically, the craftsmanship is evident. Pongratz doesn’t like frills, and that attitude shines through the music consistently. Everything is to the point. In the case of this opening track, we hear a atmospheric intro reminiscent of Jean Michel Jarre, leading into the actual song. The keyboards are elegant, while the guitar sounds fiery. This interplay takes place on a gothic-light foundation, setting the blueprint for the rest of the tracks.
This doesn’t mean that each track doesn’t have its own identity. For example, there is the instrumental Circle Of Life.It’s not a standard showcase piece, but a atmospheric composition where the violin sounds ominous, and the drums resonate deeply. In Inescapable, Chilean singer Lukas Sparke makes his entrance. His warm voice, combined with sparkling guitar play, gives the hard rock essence of the music a comfortable feel. In a way, “The Raven” sounds disarming and fresh. Even in the more theatrical numbers Back From Eternity and Pray For Silence, the charm offensive predominates. Think of the Cindy Oudshoorn years with Kayak for Back From Eternity. Evil Rising, on the other hand, is the most ominous track on the album, and understandably so, as the lyrics deal with the rise of the Third Reich. The track is somewhat in line with Circle Of Life, but with vocals. Sparke, as in Inescapable, proves to be a great vocalist, and the many vocal background sounds, ranging from whispers to screams, make it distinctive. At that moment, there is a somewhat eerie atmosphere in the album. Salam also contributes to this atmosphere. The tension in the music is resolved by the closing track, Judgement Day, where sharp riffs and a playful rhythm create a certain musical euphoria.
All in all, “The Raven” is a remarkable album that is highly original. Most points, in my opinion, go to the creativity, which is boundless.