Catastrophe - High Dynamic CD
SKU
PP 149
Manuel Godek - sax
Christian Freytag - guitar
Pascal Dumon - bass
Serge Vuillier - drums
One and done French fusion/progressive band from 1982; while it’s a little late on the progressive rock fusion timeline of things, this doesn’t disappoint.
“This jazz-rock group from Metz, active from the late 70s to the mid-80s, in the vein of Cobham and Eleventh House with a few nods to Magma, traveled in an old Saviem Chausson SC1 coach whose roof window displayed the group's name, "Catastrophe," as its destination. Imagine the bewilderment of passersby at the time as the old, roaring bus drove by.
A tribute is paid to him at the beginning of the first track, where we hear him honking his horn and then revving his engine, ready to devour the "Long Distance." The entire album is built around very funky leitmotifs punctuated by saxophone riffs. The bass is recorded very prominently, highly musical and virtuosic, injecting incredible energy into the whole. Phrases with Afro-Cuban overtones are scattered here and there by the guitar, which dispenses rays of light in a style that sometimes recalls Larry Coryell, albeit much more understated (which is rather a virtue), particularly in "Noche de Marcha" or "Rouge mer outre vert." The beginning of "Pas si sérieux" is imbued with a Coltrane-esque atmosphere before plunging back into the fire of funk. I appreciate the drummer's fluid and light playing; it's a shame that he sometimes suffers from a rather mediocre recording quality that somewhat obscures the details of his playing. In the eponymous track "High Dynamic," with its hypnotic rhythm, after a crescendo of tension, the saxophone unleashes free-form flourishes followed by a frenetic guitar chorus.
A warm album that lives up to its name and that I still listen to today with undiminished pleasure, unlike groups of the same genre, even very well known at the time, such as "Uzeb" to name just one, whose typical 80s sound and cold virtuosity have aged very badly.
The group continued after the release of this album, but as a trio, following the departure of the saxophonist who was not replaced. They worked on new compositions of equally high quality, while continuing to tour. Unfortunately, this album would remain both the first and the last of their career. But in a way, an album like this can fill the entire lives of its creators and a part of the lives of those who have listened to it or still listen to it.”
- LabelPaisley Press
- UPC4048876661495