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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
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Arjen Lucassen's Star One: Revel In Time
Arjen Lucassen's Star One: Revel In Time
Melodic Progressive Heavy Rock
4.0/5.0
Internet
Facebook
InsideOut Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 16.02.2022 | Released: 18.02.2022
Known as an accomplished musician and composer with many projects and albums to his resume, Dutch wunderkind Arjen Lucassen has not offered a new Star One album since 2010's Victims of the Modern Age. His focus has been largely on his better known Ayreon project which, in the same period of time, has given us three albums. Revel In Time is only his fourth album in his self-called space metal project.
Arjen Lucassen: needs to eat more cake.
Most Lucassen fans know the differences between his projects. But here's a brief synopsis of a Star One project. Essentially, "space metal" is whittled down to two things. Space has to do with the album's lyrical themes, often from space-based tales or movies and what not. The "metal" part means that Star One songs are heavier in composition. The crux of the arrangements is also two-fold: rough dramatic riffs and a robust and heavy rhythm. These things are then bound tightly by a prog arrangements, strong vocal arrangements and, one of the basic sin qua non's of any Lucassen song or album, significant musicianship from multiple talented players. That's the short description of a Star One project.
Yet, Revel In Time has some different nuances. In the past, Lucassen has used the same four singers (Floor Jansen, Russell Allen, Damian Wilson and Dan Swano) singing parts in each song. This time our Dutch mastermind has a larger gaggle of singers, wherin he features a single, and most often different, singer on each song. (Largely, this vocal scenario came about due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) However, true to form Lucassen liked everybody and all the vocal arrangements he heard and gives listener's a second CD which he calls "Same Songs, Different Singers," which is simply another reason to buy the album. The additional singers include famous luminaries as Tony Martin, Roy Kahn, Jeff Scott Soto and more.
Finally, a few thoughts about Revel In Time. One, and simply, it's exactly as described above. Two, the arrangements, while heavy, feature some astounding musicianship, especially in the guitar lines. So, essentially, I liked everything about Revel In Time, yet with one caveat. After about the fifth song, I felt that that aforementioned foundation of "rough dramatic riffs and a robust and heavy rhythm" was getting monotonous really fast. I guess, then, I would consider Revel In Time Lucassen and Star One's most consistent and redundant album. But that's just me, and should not discourage anyone from getting this album. Best picks: 28 Days, Revel In Time, The Year Of '41, and Lost Children Of The Universe.
Revel In Time finds musical mastermind Arjen Lucassen offering again Star One's heavier approach to his progressive music. This time its with multiple singers and, as usual, exceptional musicianship. Recommended.
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The Take Away
Revel In Time finds musical mastermind Arjen Lucassen offering again Star One's heavier approach to his progressive music. This time its with multiple singers and, as usual, exceptional musicianship. Recommended.
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