Par Les Fils De Mandrin constitutes perfect balance between the over-emphasized theatrics of Christian Decamp on Au-Delà Du Délire and the more rock/less lyrical approach of Émile Jacotay. The album is presented as a "musical tale for big children" and, therefore, leaves more room for narratives ("Atlantis"), folk settings ("Ainsi S'en Ira La Pluie"), and medieval atmospheres ("Saltimbanques"). The compositional approach is simpler, keeping the very progressive material for the epic "Hymne à la Vie" ("Hymn to Life"), a piece that allies
Yes-like serenity to the typical bombastic sound. "Hymne à la Vie" will remain "the" ten-minute-plus
Ange track, succeeding in maintaining cohesion and intensity, something "Ego et Deus" on Émile Jacotay lacked, and ending on a guitar/Mellotron theme that takes the best out of the formula used on earlier pieces like "Au-Delà du Délire" and "Le Cimetière des Arlequins." The playful "Saltimbanques" and the proggish "Au Café du Colibri" are also very strong numbers. Par Les Fils de Mandrin, bearing the best
Ange cover artwork, was the band's last release one could consider mainly belonging to the progressive rock genre. ~ François Couture