By: AvNatten

Posted: Feb 27, 2006

By now most of us are familiar with the Dutch multi-talented instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen. Mr. Lucassen firmly planted his feet within the hard rock and metal scenes in the mid 90ties when he released "Ayreon: The Final Experiment" which was his first foray into what he calls "opera rock". Though I did not get the opportunity to give his work a listen until years later when I stumbled across Star One. Since then he has released numerous albums with his various bands and projects which takes us to where we are now, his latest endeavor that goes by the name Stream Of Passion and their first offering entitled "Embrace The Storm".

As the band name and album title suggest the tracks contained on this release take you on a ride through emotional soundscapes that are painted by the superb skills of the musicians contained within this band. The voice on this disc is provided by Marcela Bovio. Her voice can be captivating, particularly on the track 'Deciever' in which her voice is layered which gives a more full sound and lets you hear her voice soar without smothering the music. Bovio also contributes some fantastic violin passages to the release as well as providing her own lyrics. These lyrics combined with the music which is entirely written by Lucassen, propel these songs into being grand works of progressive art that ooze with feeling. The emotional peaks and valleys that are needed to hold interest are for sure present on this release, guitars and drums that softly build up, whispered spoken vocals, and of course the awe inspiring guitar that Arjen provides in some tracks, have the ability to send a chill down your spine. The guitars create a world within themselves, sometimes mellow and light and other times they are heavy and seem to smash down around you with great force. Lucassen's guitar is accented by the work of Lori Linstruth, the two play off of each other very well and provide a solid guitar section that can be envied. One cannot leave out the rest of the musicians that round out the band on this release: Johan van Stratum and Davy Mickers lay down the rhythm section on bass and drums respectively and Alejandro Millán provides the at times beautiful and at other times almost dark and sinister piano passages. The production values on this album are crystal clear with every rumbling of the bass and crash of the cymbals being heard, as if you were right there as it was being recorded.

This disc is a solid offering to the progressive scene that I believe can be enjoyed by many not necessarily just those that follow prog. There is no reason why this album should not do well, it is accessible enough to reach a large audience yet still holds an edge that makes the songs sound fresh and youthful with energy. Perhaps it will provide Bovio with some deserved recognition, as time goes by she should become even better and she definitely has a voice that will entrance listeners. This band is one that you for sure will want to keep your eye on in the future!

Rating: 9/10

Stream Of Passion website

Distributed in Denmark and kindly supplied by Target

Buy the album at

Buy merchandise at

Print