Review: Ceild – A View

In 2015 the first material was released from the band that nowadays is called Ceild. On October the 21st of that year they released their debut album titled At the Heart of the Tree. At that time however this band was called Laniakea. In 2017 however this band decided to change some things. The band name Laniakea was changed into the current Ceild and the band decided to follow the instrumental path. On January the 25th the first album under the banner of Ceild was released. This album is titled A View. The current line-up of Ceild is different compared to the last known line-up of Laniakea though. Under the Laniakea-banner Charles Ferec and Clément Bodin both were responsible for the guitars and vocals. They both are still part of the band under the Ceild-banner, however they now, due to the new musical path, only play the guitars. The other two band members of Ceild are bassplayer Esteban De Rocquigny and drummer Antoine van der Zijden. The drums on A View however are done by Théo Begue, due to Antoine van der Zijden not being a Ceild-member at that moment yet. Furthermore there are also two guests to be heard on A View: cellist Raphaël Verguin and tenor saxophonist Manuel Rubio.

Do you like musical surprises? If yes, then A View is probably a very interesting album for you! Are you more a fan of a bit more predictable, straightforward music? If that’s the case this probably isn’t something you like.

From the first moments of this album’s title track Ceild immediately brings you in a hypnotic trance to take you with them on a very interesting journey that will get you to many different things and that gives you various impressions, in a very impressing way.

The music Ceild delivers on A View is progressive, experimental and also got an atmospheric vibe at some moments. A lot happens on this album, that’s why it remains interesting while vocals aren’t missed at all. Everything is also very clearly audible, which prevents that the many things that can be heard turn into one big chaotic sound. It surely is chaotic at some moments, but in a very well thought out and well executed way. Of course this is also partly due to the many rhythm-changes in Ceild’s music. A View is typically an album that can give you new surprises during each new turn of listening to it.

The tempo on A View is mainly pretty high, but this album also contains a few short, extra atmospheric moments of rest in almost every track. For example, guest-cellist Raphaël Verguin can be heard in a more calm moment of Elephant, but he also plays his soothing cello in the moments after, in which this is combined with heavy guitars and drums. The other guest on this album, tenor saxophonist Manuel Rubio can be heard on another track, Sailed. This moment also starts a bit quiet to lead up to a very nice combination.

Ceild surely delivers a very nice album with A View. After this extremely impressing, very well packed journey, there is almost nothing you can do but press play again and close your eyes for just another journey like that. Highly recommended for sure!

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