Nine Skies – “5.20” | Progressive Rock Central.com

Nine Skies is a French progressive rock band that will release their latest album, 5.20 on June 4^th, 2021. On 5.20, “The personal poetry of this album conjures up a dream, beyond various horizons”.

The band is made up of members: Eric Bouillette, who plays guitars, violin, mandolin, keyboards, and arrangements; Alexandre Lamia, plays guitars, keyboards, piano, arrangements, recording, mix, and album mastering; Anne-Claire Rallo, plays keyboards and writes the song lyrics; Aliénor Favier, sings vocals; Achraf El Asraoui, sings vocals and plays guitars; David Darnaud, plays guitars; Bernard Hery, plays bass; Fabien Galia, plays drums; Laurent Benhamou, plays saxophones; Cath Lubatti, plays violins and viola; and Lilian Jaumotte, plays cello.

But 5.20, also includes a famous guestlist of performers, mainly the Brothers Hackett. Steve Hackett, plays the guitar solo on, “Wilderness”, and brother John plays flute on, “The Old Man in the Snow”. Damian Wilson, sings lead vocals on “Porcelain Hill”.

5.20 was my introduction to the band, and what a wonderful welcome indeed. This album makes me want to search out their discography. Inviting the Hacketts to join you in creating music, and having them agree to perform, is a wonderful compliment and surprise. It also demonstrates the caliber of your music and your ability to attract such icons of progressive rock, to create alongside you. Hats off to Nine Skies!

Indeed, the lyrics and delicate musical creativity, captured within 5.20, make it easily one of the best progressive albums of the year.

Along with the two Hackett inspired tracks, “Wilderness” and “The Old Man in the Snow”, the album has many high points. Damian Wilson’s vocal work on “Porcelain Hill”, is one of those great highlights.

“Color Blind”, opens with soft strings and guitar, followed by bass and flute. Light and airy, spring faire. Wonderful. Then, Achraf El Asraoui sings, “I want a life I imagined. Dreamed every night. I want to keep in my heart this world. I created, I like to believe, somewhere a place exists, A land far from distress. Released from the embrace of pain. Where the world wouldn’t be insane. Coloured balloons in the air. While my being’s here. Should I continue to dream. Or return to reality. Should I want to love you again? Should I continue to dream? Or return to reality? Every day I play this game. Watching and waiting for the end I wish to believe”. I think we can all get on board with that, especially when they close this song with such beautiful sax, and soft guitar accompaniment.

Beautiful, soft acoustic guitar, rushing forward to greet the dawn, then strings, as more is added to the potion, on “Wilderness”. Soft drums, then piano and Achraf El Asraoui and Aliénor Favier sing, “Sinking into the deep. Thinking about the leap. It craves our meeting. We crave our freedom. Unfaithful and undeserved. The stars are way too far for us. But they aren’t the only ones. The stars are way too far for us”. Steve Hackett’s guitar solo is stellar, as always. So effortlessly he dazzles us. This song has a solo Steve Hackett quality to it. Please Don’t Touch or Spectral Mornings sounds and feelings are all over this song. Probably another reason he was attracted to perform.

One wouldn’t think there was any “Beauty of Decay”, but this song makes it possible to ponder. A beautiful, acoustic guitar song, which sounds a lot like Steve Hackett’s solo music.

“Golden Drops”, opens with piano, guitar and Achraf El Asraoui, (who is beginning to sound a little like Bryan Ferry), singing, “Catch the golden drops. As if they were tears of joy. Golden rain in the sky. Surrounded by red clouds. Dark figures will always come to steal your golden hopes. Swallow them while you can. Beware of the black swans. Cover your eyes. Cover your ears. Keep your golden drops. Dreaming hopes. Golden tears are prayers of those who live on the other side of the sky”. A darker turn to the music and lyrics. The drums are great. The strings are also dark but wonderful.

On “Above the Tide”, Achraf El Asraoui, sings, “A majestic crow. Wanders above the tide. Through the blurry clouds. Darkening the sky. A black glimpse into the air. Quick like a breath. Deep as despair. The black bird singing in the wind. Dancing in the mist. Wishes no more grief. Snowflake on a crow’s wing”. Aliénor Favier provides wonderful supporting vocals to this dark sounding track, “Above the tide. Listen to the sea”. The guitar work and strings are just magnificent. This image-filled track is solemn and bleak.

“Dear Mind”, is another acoustic guitar and piano instrumental that will calm your soul.

“The Old Man in the Snow”, opens with soft acoustic guitar. Then Asraoui, sings, “A white down in the haze. Soft and shining. Twilight eyes consuming through a raging gaze. The violence of loneliness. Release a soothing muteness. Wise, wise but alone. The old loner is far from home. White, white and pink. This landscape, really bleak”. The strings, keyboards and percussion are wonderful. An eerie reminder of the melodies from Hackett’s Please Don’t Touch, and at times “Narnia”, in particular. Then John Hackett, as if to really bring home the similarities, adds a profound flute solo, which only enhances the nostalgia.

On “Godless Land”, they envision a clear picture of what it might be like. Asraoui, sings, “A land without water. A sky without clouds. Days without sun. And nights without moon. Trees without leaves. And Spring without birds. No celebration”. All set to piano, profound acoustic guitar and bass.

“Porcelain Hill”, features Damian Wilson singing. He sings, “I remember the hill. Perched above the village. Hidden through clouds and haze. Overlooking the gods, whispering”, all set to soft piano and acoustic guitar. Wilson sings, “Porcelain hill. Is made of my heart. Melted by a hundred nights. Carved out of a thousand dreams, Smoke and mirrors, I was that little man, Running up to the top. Welcomed by an assembly of dolls. Here is the porcelain kingdom. Where your heart and dreams still never-ending. Tumbling down over and over again. Just like the folly of human existence”. A great lyrical story brought home by one of the best lead singers in prog.

“Achristas”, is a beautiful piano instrumental. Just sit back and dream.

The closer, “Smiling Stars”, continues where the piano left off on the last song. Then Asraoui, sings, “The memory of your face, so strong into my mind. It can’t be replaced. They say I need time. I want to talk to you, again. Laugh with you, and forget my pain. When I look at the sky I can see your eyes. When I stare at the stars I don’t see any goodbye. A thousand of smiling stars. Just a path to a new home. Beyond the dancing rainbow. Leading to the show”. Beautiful piano, guitar, sax, bass, and all the strings and potential you can imagine in a fulfilling, wave – “goodbye…for now”. This song has some definite influences from Supertramp, with that powerful ending sax.

A tough album, at times. The 2020 Pandemic has taken its toll on lives and feelings. You can hear it all here in the sadness that fills the lyrics, and feeling in the melodies. But this is brilliantly written and composed progressive rock. One of the best progressive rock albums of the year, for sure. The Hackett influence is extraordinary. It will bring back memories, for sure. Well worth the time invested. Enjoy.