Scott's Spotlight #37 - Klone

 Originally posted to Facebook on June 26, 2025

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Welcome to Scott’s Spotlight (#scottsspotlight) issue #37. For more information about this series, please click here:

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This week we’ll be returning to France to take a deep dive into the band Klone. Klone was founded in Poitiers, France in 1999. Prog Archives classifies them as “Heavy Prog” but based on what I am hearing now, they are prog metal with very aggressive vocals, gruff, but not a full-on death metal-growl. Maybe in the vein of Disturbed, but with more aggressive vocals. By the time they released their first album, 2003’s “Duplicate” the line-up consisted of:

- Guillaume Bernard / Guitars

- Michael Moreau / Guitars

- Matthieu Metzger / Samples, Wind midi controller, Keyboards, Saxophone

- Julien Comte / Bass

- Laurent Thomas / Drums

- David Ledoux / Vocals

That first album helped to put them on the map and build a following. The songs express feelings of fear, oppression and anger. They drew comparisons to everyone from Tool, to Alice in Chains, to Porcupine Tree, to Tool and even to Pantera. While most of the songs a re under 5 and a half minutes, the album ends with a 10 minute + track called “Sin”. They followed up that album with an EP the following year, called “High Blood Pressure.” By that time, Yann Ligner had taken over the lead vocal spot. The EP ends with a 4 minute live instrumantal called “Narcomania” that I particularly enjoyed. Following these first two releases, Klone spent a great deal of time touring with various notable bands, including French prog-metallers Gojira.  

It would be 2008 before the next album would appear, but it is considered to be their breakthrough album: “All Seeing Eye”. Much like the first album, most of the songs are relatively short excepting the closing epic, “Nightime”, which exceeds 12 minutes. I am listening to it now and the vocals are borderline growling inparts, but not quite there. A variety of instruments are introduced to their sound including: a harp, saxophone, a Chinese flute and various electronic sounds. Gojira’s vocalist Joe Duplantier is a guest on the title track. Also on this album, bass-duties are taken over by Hughes (yes, just Hughes).  

The third full-length album came out in 2010, called “Black Days”. Unlike the earlier albums, there are no tracks over 10 minutes. During the recording of this album, it seems that Hughes, now with his last name Andriot, recorded all but one track on which new bassist Jean Etienne Maillard took over: “Behold the Silence”. Additionally, there was a change at the drum throne as Florent Marcadet took over. As I am checking out the opener “Rite of Passage” it seems to my ears that while still a very heavy track, the vocals aren’t as harsh. Another EP, “The Eye of the Needle” followed in 2011.

Up next for Klone is the 4th full length album, “The Dreamer’s Hideaway” I am currently checking out the track “A Finger Snaps” on which King’s X frontman dUg Pinnick makes a guest appearance, and it has quite a groove. Once again, there are no 10 minute plus songs, but “Walking on Clouds” clocks in at over 7 minutes. As I hear more from this one, it seems that they are getting away from strictly using the super-aggressive vocals and expanding their sound. I am enjoying the tunes from this one more than the ones from earlier albums. “Into the Void is also quite enjoyable.

The 5th album would appear in 2015, called “Here Comes the Sun”. Once again, the longest track is between 7-8 minutes, but this is their highest ranked album on Prog Archives with a score of 4.40 out of 5 stars. I am enjoying the instrumental “Gleaming” and once again, their sound seems to be getting more diverse. There is another line-up change as Aldrick Guadagnino replaced Michael Moreau on guitar. I am also checking out “The Drifter” and they truly seem to be moving in a less aggressive direction.  

Interestingly, the sixth release would be a live-without-an-audience acoustic album, freaturing songs from the 2 previous albums. Unplugged, released in 2017 features a 4-piece line up:

- Armelle Dousset / accordion, floor tom, keyboards

- Aldrick Guadagnino / guitar

- Guillaume Bernard / guitar

- Yann Ligner / vocals

I am checking out “Nebulous” as I type this and am enjoying the sound.

They would return to the studio to release the seventh album “Le Grand Voyage” in 2019. They have returned to the 6 piece format again, but Morgan Berthet has inherited the drum throne. Based on the album opener, which is the longest at just over 7 minutes, they have truly moved away from the earlier mega-heavy sound and have a very rich, warm tone even when it gets heavier. These later albums seem to be more to my liking compared to the earlier ones. I really am enjoying “Yonder”! The track “Breach” goes further to confirm my suspicions that they have moved away from the super-heavy feel of the earlier albums.

Album #8 was my introduction to Klone, as I read a review in Prog Magazine and added iot to my library. Released in 2023, “Meanwhile” continues the trend of shorter songs, and more atmospheric and melodic songs, with heavier sections. I have enjoyed several songs from this album, including: “Night and Day”. “Bystander”, “Cacarcity” and “Elusive.” Interestingly, several earlier members have returned to the line-up which is:

- Yann Ligner / vocals

- Guillaume Bernard / atmospheric guitars

- Michael Moreau / guitars

- Hugues Andriot / bass

- Laurent Thomas / drums

- Matthieu Metzger / saxophones, keyboard, systolic devices

This brings us up to the most recent album, 2024’s “The Unseen,” which continues the melodic sound and further cements their move away from their extremely aggressive roots. This album has the first track over 10 minutes in several years–the 12:15 “Spring”. I am currently listening to “Desire Line” and enjoying it. I have a feeling that this album will reveal more great music as I become familiar with it. Once again, Klone’s revolving door has turned, and we have a different line-up of familiar names, this time with 5 members:

- Yann Ligner / vocals

- Guillaume Bernard / guitars

- Matthieu Metzger / keyboards, saxophones

- Aldrick Guadagnino / guitars

- Morgan Berthet / drums

As always, I will provide “Links for Listening” and you can check out the differece from the earlier albums to the later ones.

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Links for Listening:

From Duplicate:

“Blessed are the Blind”

https://youtu.be/4UzUVOnKES4

“Sin”

https://youtu.be/lNm1bcw_CJI

From “High Blood Pressure”

“Narcomania” (Live)

https://youtu.be/x2b1-uFGlCw

From “All Seeing Eye”

“All Seeing Eye”

https://youtu.be/SI6Cu9Xbp3c

“Nightime”

https://youtu.be/YUYBmfT4wGc

From “Black Days”

“Rite of Passage”

https://youtu.be/YUYBmfT4wGc

“Behold the Silence”

https://youtu.be/cXQwdwo1wJw

From “The Dreamer’s Hideaway”

“Walking on Clouds”

https://youtu.be/QFNc9CQVWzo

“A Finger Snaps” (Feat dUg Pinnick)

https://youtu.be/EPbPdFDlOGw

From: “Here Comes the Sun”

“Gleaming”

https://youtu.be/NBjdy5trC_g

“The Drifter”

https://youtu.be/zRcEh9mM7EQ

From “Unplugged”

“Nebulous”

https://youtu.be/N2OBBuNzDDg

From: “Le Grand Voyage”

“Yonder”

https://youtu.be/eL9KeXozxW4

“Breach”

https://youtu.be/yviLDZZDTMk

From: “Meanwhile”

“Night and Day”

https://youtu.be/okaQeZiOats (Official Video)

“Bystander”

https://youtu.be/rz37KCgkZag (Official Video)

From “The Unseen”

“Spring” https://youtu.be/N7DuTPaQ2_w

“Desire Line” https://youtu.be/td-iC_lqLCA