So I finally got my Lalu - Oniric Metal disc in the mail...

[batmura]

This disc took like two months to get here, it must have been stuck somewhere in the mail. Finally I received it and have given it a good number of plays so far. I think it's pretty cool but rather different from what I'd expected it to, especially vocals-wise. The singer is good, but certainly needed time to grow on me. He isn't the operatic type of singer like, say Hubi Meisel, but he's more on the grittier side of things. His voice is expressive though, so I think I'll dig it with more spins.

The music is crunchy, quite a bit heavier than I thought it would be, and Lalu seems to be the complementary element in the music, unlike his role on Meisel's EmOcean disc.

What does everyone else think of this disc? I already started a thread at the other board but got no replies and I NEED to talk about this disc cause it's in my stereo right now.

 

[booB]

It slays. IMO, it's tied with Redemption as prog metal disc of the year.

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

It is defintely a bad ass disc, I did a review for it when it first came out. I really enjoyed it especially the little skit at the beginning of Potboy

 

[glasscastle]

I'm glad to see some others enjoying this one....Its in my top 5 of the year!


I've been spinning this since March.....and I still love it!

 

[MysticX9]

Here's my reveiw of it, from Detritus:

LALU - ONIRIC METAL (A-/B+) Lion Music, 2005
8 tracks, RT: 52:10
[ http://www.lalusworld.com ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com ]
Lion keeps coming up with interesting new talent, one of the latest
being French progressive metal keyboardist/songwriter Vivien Lalu.
Lalu is pretty much a newcomer to the scene, having played session
keyboards on several albums, most notably with Hubi Meisel on his
EMOcean CD. ONIRIC METAL is an impressive first release from a very
promising band, which also features the excellent six-string talents
of Joop Wolters. What does it sound like? Well, take the heaviness
of Evergrey and mix it with the keyboard atmosphere and vocal elements
of Saga, then throw in some of the emotional aspects of Pain of
Salvation and you get an idea. "YesterDayMan" starts things off
nicely with a strong arrangement and tight playing by Lalu's very
competent band. "Wolven Eyes" washes over you with power and mystery,
while the Evergrey influence can be heard clearly on "Night In
Poenari," a devastating piece that crushes everything in sight. Joop
Wolters is certainly reinforcing his reputation as a guitar hero par
excellent, while Vivien Lalu's keyboard work is captivating without
being excessive. There are some really good vocal performances on
ONIRIC METAL courtesy of Martin LeMar (from Tomorrow's Eve), along
with awesome drumming by the Devin Townsend Band's Ryan Van
Poederooyen. The production is adequate but I would have liked to
hear the bass a little more pronounced, as there is some great playing
by former Annihilator bassist Russell Bergquist. If the entire album
had been as dynamic as "Night In Poenari," I would have given it an A
for sure; "Moonstruck (The Soulish Element)" comes close to
maintaining the energy, and "Moonstop" moves through some tricky
twists and turns befitting any good prog metal outfit. Unfortunately,
the final two tracks "StarWatcher" and "PotBoy: The Final Fantasy"
were unlistenable due to defects in the CD, a flaw that has plagued
more than a few of Lion's promo discs. Since I'm unable to hear the
last two tracks I can't really give the album the review it deserves,
but suffice it to say that if they are anything like the rest of
ONIRIC METAL I would easily recommend this to any prog metal fan
interested in discovering an exciting new entity. - Neal Woodall
(MysticX10@...)

 

[MysticX9]

Plus here's a link to a short interview I did with Lalu -

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/message/602

 

[Smelly Metal]

Thanks SO much