• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

Guilt Machine: On This Perfect Day

Progressive Rock/Metal

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Frontiers
www.arjenlucassen.com
www.myspace.com/guiltmachine
Review: Craig Hartranft,  08.31.2009

You've got to be just a little bit jealous of Arjen (Ayreon) Lucassen; he gets to spend his days creating music he loves with some of the best musicians he can recruit. He's prolific, consistent, and has a gift of developing a project around a strong core of talent. Lucassen's latest creation, Guilt Machine, is no exception to this. On a Perfect Day, a concept album which explores 'the destructive psychology of guilt, regret and the darkest form of secret - the secrets we hide from ourselves, is another sophisticated product of progressive music.

Opposed to many past projects, Lucassen developed Guilt Machine without the diverse abundance of singers. Instead he choose Jasper Steverlinck of Belgian alt rock band Arid. His dreamy emotional Bono-like vocal style add much to Lucassen's often equally atmospheric and ethereal compositions. Also joining Lucassen are Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree)on drums and Lori Linstruth (ex-Stream of Passion) on lead guitar.

Following his emotional lyrical content, the music of On a Perfect Day also sways away from the bombastic and symphonic arrangements of Lucassen's sci-fi-fantasy pieces. Certainly, the arrangements are sweeping and dense as on Green and Cream or Season of Denial. However, there's a noticeable ambient melancholy, noticeable throughout but most especially on Twisted Coil and Perfection, which reflects the exposition of guilt and regret as a debilitating quality. In the end, however, this On a Perfect Day is still prime and signature Arjen Lucassen.

The prolific, and sometimes predictable, Arjen Lucassen throws us a curve with Guilt Machine's On a Perfect Day. A single lead vocalist preempts many guest stars, and melancholy and somber arrangements on a sober subject trump bombastic sci-fi tales. Expect different, but the same and you will still be delighted. Recommended!

The prolific, and sometimes predictable, Arjen Lucassen throws us a curve with Guilt Machine's On a Perfect Day. A single lead vocalist preempts many guest stars, and melancholy and somber arrangements on a sober subject trump bombastic sci-fi tales. Expect different, but the same and you will still be delighted.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]