Guilt Machine is the latest creation of the musical genius (I kid you not) Arjen Lucassen. On This Perfect Day continues his streak of making consistent, enjoyable and challenging albums.
Guilt Machine is not Ayreon. It takes a path through a different musical landscape but sometimes treads on familiar ground. The familiar touch is mostly due to the sound, which is vintage Lucassen all the way through. Warm, atmospheric and strangely comforting.
On This Perfect Day embraces themes of guilt and incompleteness in a convincing way. The lyrics are interesting without being obvious. I was surprised that the lyrics are written by guitarist Lori Linstruth. Good job!
The music is focused on capturing a certain atmosphere and succeeds. It will not be to everyone's liking but if you have the concentration and dedication to sit down and listen you will find a highly enjoyable album here. The songs don't loose impact with repeated listens but grow bigger. On This Perfect Day is not a hard album to get into as it is openly melodic and has an atmosphere that captures right away but it will demand something of the listener as it doesn't bloom completely before several focused listens.
Fortunately it's worth spending the time with.
The production is perfectly balanced. A variety of different instruments and keyboard sounds enhance the sound so it becomes a swirling entity, rising and falling with the mood of the song
Vocalist Jasper Steverlinck suits the music perfectly. His voice is delicate but able to hold its own in the heavier passages. Jasper has a very enticing vibrato which is not overused and adds impact when it is released.
The six songs, most of which have a meaty running time, have a tendency to open slowly, build momentum through several peaks and reach their pinnacle in a satisfying way. There are some great melodies in there, best found by leaning back, closing your eyes and floating away with the music.
Favorites include
Over, a song that is beautifully put together and has an amazing chorus where Jasper's voice fully blooms. Lori Lindstruth provides sharp, gut wrenching guitar solos.
Twisted Coil is a good example of how the songs grow and evolve. When the final part of the song is reached the chorus reaches a magnificent altitude.
Overall a great album and another worthy addition to the Lucassen catalogue.
Written by
Steen Monday, October 26, 2009
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