Edelveiss

Edelveiss have nothing to do with their namesake German mountain flower or that tune from The Sound of Music. But don’t think they’re another NeurIsis clone due to their progressive post-rock tag either. Over the course of a mere three tracks, the eponymous debut EP from this Montréal quartet spins tales that plummet through Pink Floyd’s early inner space and lap from the ambient bounty that was Tiamat’s magnum opus, Wildhoney. "Érosion” is part Hawkwind, part Tangerine Dream, and all amazing: the flawless rhythm section of bassist Martin Ferguson and drummer Patrice Ferguson (unrelated, though they played in high-school metal bands together) harmonise with guitarist Benoit Panneton and synth mogul Frédéric Lavigne (leader of the electro-industrial Chainsawtooth). Neil Peart’s tinkling bells echo through the Floyd-ian "Murmures” with liberal washes of Lavigne’s electronic apps like Fly Like an Eagle-era Steve Miller. The 18-minute "Horace Fleet” hurtles through Rush’s 2112 with a melodic trajectory, building and rebuilding layered sounds to attain celestial climaxes. What Edelveiss do in 30 minutes have taken other bands a decade to achieve; their output will astound fans of post-prog from Rush to Red Sparowes.