I first heard about Morglbl several years ago thanks to the relentless efforts of their US tour promoter Rodney Cord. He was trying to book shows for the trio and wanted to have them play here at the studio. Sadly it was during the summer and I wasn't as inclined then to do summer shows. So it wasn't until the 2007 ProgDay Friday night pre-show that I had a chance to catch these guys. And what an amazing show! Hence I wasn't surprised when they were chosen for the following year's NearFest festival and was equally not surprised when they became the unexpected hit of NearFest last year.

This three-member French fusion band really brings the goods! Led by renowned guitarist Christophe Godin (widely regarded as the best guitarist in France), and anchored by Ivan Rougny on Bass and Aurelien Ouzoulias on drums, their music is a careening high-speed chase with amazingly tight turns and startlingly quick yet fluid starts, stops, and transitions. It's fusion with a metal edge and a whole lot of humor just to keep it sane.

Sort of. Morglbl possesses all the instrumental pyrotechnics you'd expect from a top-notch fusion band but they also have something more, something I personally find missing in a lot of music in the genre, what I describe as a more "organic" feel to their playing. Coupled with their on-stage antics it just makes for an all the more compelling show. You really will want to catch these guys if you have even the slightest appreciation for fusion, and particularly if you like it served up with some substantial chunks of metal.

Fans of Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai will find a lot to like here. As always, I recommend you check their myspace link, above, then make plans to join us for some great music and a great time!