2022
Paint The Sky
A deliberate move into progressive rock, and the record that brought Damian Wilson into the project.
The record
Building upon the success of his previous works, including 2005's Oniric Metal and 2013's Atomic Ark, this release marked a significant evolution in Lalu's artistic journey. It represented a deliberate foray into progressive rock, a genre that resonated deeply with Vivien, owing in part to his lineage as the offspring of renowned members of the 70s French progressive act Polène.
In pursuit of his artistic vision, Vivien assembled an extraordinary ensemble of musicians. Damian Wilson (Arena, Headspace, Threshold) assumes a prominent role, lending his exceptional vocal prowess to the album. His involvement, spanning lyrics, arrangements and performance, has been a stroke of genius, his versatile and captivating delivery evoking shades of Jon Anderson while remaining true to his own style.
Supporting this musical vision are the talents of Jelly Cardarelli on drums and Joop Wolters, who deftly handles guitars and bass. An impressive array of guest musicians further embellishes the album, adding a delightful touch of musical prowess to an already stellar foundation.
Tracklist
- Reset to Preset
- Won't Rest Until the Heat of the Earth Burns the Soles of Our Feet Down to the Bone
- Emotionalised
- Paint the Sky
- Witness to the World
- Lost in Conversation
- Standing at the Gates of Hell
- The Chosen Ones
- Sweet Asylum
- We Are Strong
- All of the Lights
- Paint the Sky Alternative version, bonus track featuring Simon Phillips
Line-up
- Damian Wilson - Vocals
- Jelly Cardarelli - Drums
- Joop Wolters - Guitars, bass
- Vivien Lalu - Keyboards
Guests
Special guests, from A to Z:
- Alessandro Del Vecchio - keyboard solo on 4
- Alex Argento - keyboard solo on 12
- Gary Wehrkamp - backing vocals on 4
- Jens Johansson - keyboard solos on 2, 4, 6
- Jordan Rudess - keyboard solo on 8
- Marco Sfogli - additional guitars on 5
- Simon Phillips - drums on 12
- Simone Mularoni - guitar solos on 8
- Steve Walsh - guest vocals on 4
- Tony Franklin - bass on 4 and 12
- Vikram Shankar - piano and orchestration on 11
- Damian Wilson - kazoo on 3
Accolades
- iO Pages3rd position10 Best Albums of 2022
- Prog MagazineTop album, various positionsCritics' Lists 2022
- Progrock.comBest Progressive Album from FranceThe Progressive Rock Awards 2022
- Sonic Perspectives38th positionTop 50 Albums of 2022
- The Progspace Awards 20221 nominationAlbum of the Year, Progressive Rock
- The Prog Report Awards 20222 nominationsAlbum of the Year, Song of the Year
Credits
- Lyrics, vocal lines and concept written by Damian Wilson
- Music composed by Vivien Lalu, except track 3 by Vivien Lalu and Eleftheria Zavalis, track 8 by Vivien Lalu and Jelly Cardarelli, track 9 by Joop Wolters, track 11 by Vivien Lalu and Vikram Shankar
- Published by Damian Wilson, Frontiers Records / Oyez!
- Audio engineering: Adam Wakeman, Clive Nolan, Jelly Cardarelli
- Mixing: Jelly Cardarelli
- Mastering: Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Produced by Vivien Lalu and Jelly Cardarelli
- Artwork by Travis Smith
- Original LALU logo by Mattias Norén
- Damian Wilson photo by Tom Barnes, Vivien Lalu photo by Eleftheria Zavalis
- Vivien endorses Roland
- Follow the LALU doggies on Facebook, Instagram and X: @LALUdoggies