Short Reviews [Nemo - 2022 - "Les Nouveaux Mondes"]

Back in 2002. Nemo released this their debut album with a line-up of Jean Pierre Louveton (electric guitar, vocals), Guillaume Fontaine (keyboards, acoustic guitar, vocals). Benoit Gaignon (bass) and Pascal Bertrand (drums, marimba, percussion). Some 20 years later and the current band have recorded a new version of their debut as a thank you to their fans, with the rhythm section now Lionel B. Guichard (bass) and Jean Baptiste Itier (drums). If that were not enough, there are also two additional tracks to the original in "Africa", which is the original 1997 demo from which "Luna" was taken, rearranged and re-recorded plus "Battleship", which is an unreleased track recorded during Nemo's first concert, March 16, 2002 (so features Gaignon and Bertrand). I had not previously heard this album, not coming to Nemo until a little later, so I have no idea how this compares to the original, whether it is a note for note replication or if they have adjusted the songs to take into account how they will have changed over the years. What I do know is that it is massively diverse, and while solidly symphonic there is also a lot going on with the guitars while the vocals are also obviously incredibly important given the focus provided to them (but as they are all in French I have no idea what is being said). However, although I do not understand the lyrics it does not really matter as I am captured by the music, which certainly does not sound as if it was recorded at a distance due to Covid, as here we have a band who are incredibly tight, with a guitarist who is happy in a rock setting as he is in prog, and consequently plays as if he is in a neo/melodic rock setting while Itier bounces around the kit, Guichard is tight on the bass with some lovely runs and Fontaine holds it all together. I know the guys are not saying this is a comeback of any sorts, but one can dream there is a new Nemo album around the corner, as this is a blast from beginning to end.