Released in 1997, Narcissus Goes to the Moon remains Quebec progressive rock band Visible Wind’s finest hour. This fourth opus saw them in full control of their musicianship. Creativity was at its peak and, now owning its own studio, the band had a chance to develop its musical ideas further, resulting in a musically cohesive album, where every song segued into, or at least related to, the next. If it had not been for the unexpected demise of the Kozak label, this CD could have introduced them to a more international prog audience. Stylistic references on Narcissus can be summed up with two names: early Camel and the Flower Kings. Bubbling synthesizers, solid guitars, and angular rhythm patterns balanced out by infectious melodies are the essence of highlights like “Fuzzy Concept,” “Xenophobia,” and the 20-minute epic “The Awakening,” all tracks that will appeal to any fan of the aforementioned artists. Indiscipline violinist Jean-Philippe Goulet guests on the epic. The album includes one song in French (“Intravenus,” plus one section of “The Awakening”) — everything else is in English. Sound quality is a bit mute and heavy on bass, a recurring problem on Kozak’s productions (it plagued the CD reissue of Maneige’s Ni Vent Ni Nouvelle). Narcissus Goes to the Moon is the most serious prog rock album to come from Quebec during the 1990s. – François Couture
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