Atoll

Atoll is a progressive rock band from Metz, France, where the band formed in 1972. The group endured multiple lineups during its early years. After debuting with 1974's Musiciens Magiciens, Atoll's roster coalesced into its classic lineup featuring singer/percussionist André Balzer, guitarist Chris Beya, bassist Jean-Luc Thillot, drummer Alain Gozzo, and keyboardist Michel Taillet. This incarnation of the band released L'Araignée-Mal in 1975. Tertio appeared in 1977 and featured a slightly revised group of musicians, as well as a more commercialized sound that increased Atoll's popularity within the French mainstream. The album was a commercial and critical success, as was its 1977 follow-up, Rock Puzzle. By the early 1980s, however, the band had lapsed into inactivity. This hiatus lasted until 1987, when Chris Beya reformed Atoll with a new lineup that included vocalist Raoul Leininger, bassist Jean-Pierre Klares, drummer Gilles Bonnabaud, and keyboardist Nathalie Geschir. The band released L'Océan in 1989 and also reissued all of its previous records in Japan, where Atoll's popularity had surged in recent years. During a Japanese tour in support of L'Océan, Atoll recorded the live album Tokyo, C'est Fini, which was released in 1990. L'Océan later went gold, but Atoll embarked upon a long hiatus once again, with Beya reforming the band a second time during the 2010s and releasing one final album, Illian - J'entends gronder la terre, in 2013.

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