Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's... Arjen Lucassen! Ok, so maybe the guy isn't Superman, but he sure has put out a lot of high quality releases in the recent years. He now continues this steady flow of quality releases with his current project, Stream of Passion. This time he has assembled an entire band, handpicked from around the globe. The members are...
Vocals & Violin - Marcela Bovio (Mexico)
Lead Guitar - Lori Linstruth (Sweden/America)
Guitar - Arjen Lucassen (Holland)
Drums - Davy Mickers (Holland)
Bass - Johan van Stratum (Holland)
Piano - Alejandro Millán (Mexico)
Lead singer Marcela Bovio steals the show. Her rich voice is worthy of every superlative I can think of and she is definitely the most promising female vocalist I have heard in a long time. She sings everything without straining and is able to sing many different styles. Her voice is clear with a touch of deepness to it and most importantly it has that ability to send chills down your spine with certain notes or certain words. The closest comparison I can think of voice-wise is Anneke van Giersbergen from The Gathering, but comparisons aren't really fair since Marcela holds her own.
Each of the musicians actually hold their own. The drumming is inventive, the bass lines grooving and the guitar solos piercing and melodic, while the addition of a piano and violin gives the music a unique touch.
A deep, dark and brooding atmosphere drips from the album right from the first song. The rich percussion, bouncing bass sound, heavy rythm guitar, soft piano keys and violin all add their own layer to the sound and Marcela's voice completes it, the end result being an ambience that draws you in and doesn't let you go easily. The production has something to do with this as well. Every instrument is audible and has its own place in the sound. Overall an outstanding production.
Spellbound gently eases you into the atmosphere with some interesting tribal-like percussion and soft keys. Marcela's voice grabs your attention at once and with the slowly rising violin in the background giving way for an ultra heavy guitar, the song serves as a good introduction to the album. I also like the way the drum sound changes in the end, making way for
Passion.
Passion explodes in a dual guitar violin attack and this one is the first highlight of the album. The mood slowly rises and with the bridge leading to the chorus the song reaches new heights as Marcela's vocal harmonies makes you feel like you can fly. It is simply a brilliant song where especially the heavy guitar sound is effective.
Don't judge the song by the video version, which has been butchered and the best part cut out, thus giving it a much reduced impact. You can still watch it in
wmv or
mov formats if you want. I think this is a good example of how cutting a song down to the usual single playing time can almost ruin it.
The album goes through several diverse tracks such as the sinister
Deceiver where Marcela's voice goes full force in the chorus, the mysterious
Haunted, which overflows with atmosphere, in part due to the half Spanish lyrics, and the title track where the tension rises and falls like the tide of the sea.
Many times introverted and strangely comforting, the album doesn't easily let you go. Perhaps the best example of this is when suddenly the music sweeps you off your feet and takes you
Out In The Real World with a real feeling of hope and determination. This one is another personal favorite.
The ballads are particularly beautiful due to Marcela's mesmerizing voice but I think there are a few too many of them on the album. The softness of
Breathing Again,
I'll keep on Dreaming and the Spanish sung
Nostalgia go hand in hand with the more power ballad-like
Open Your Eyes and
Whereever You Are. They each have their individual strength and moments that go for the heart, but in the end I just find the other songs more interesting.
As the trailing voice of Marcela Bovio fades out with
Calleiopeia I'm left with a feeling that is filled with melancholic and thoughtful wonder and the first thing that hits me is that I want to hear it all over again.
The lyrics feel very personal and deal with life, relationships, pain and longing and I feel a painful truth cling to them. I have yet to order the limited DVD edition of the album and have not yet been able to read the lyrics, but my impression of them is very strong.
There are many hours of listening enjoyment saved in this album and it wins on repeated listens with small nuances showing themselves. Overall the music is rich and adventurous but something is missing. Sometimes I wish the songs had more bite, more surprises and were less polished. That is also why I hope that this is not just a one album project. The band shows huge potential and with some development I can only guess where they will end up. So my hope is that Arjen will not fly off to do another project right away, but stick with this one a while and let it evolve into the supergroup it has the potential to become.
Embrace
The Storm is great album and an impressive debut that manages to stand out since it is not comparable to anything else out there.
Written by
Steen Sunday, November 6, 2005
Show all reviews by SteenRatingsSteen: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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