Awesome stuff!
Mr. N. Crowson | Stamford, Lincs United Kingdom | 12/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Actually i can't really top Murat Batmaz's review of this album (see review somewhere below mine!) but i thought another favourable review can't do this project's album sales any harm.
As a lover of heavy prog (Nightmare Cinema, Symphony X) and female goth metal bands (The Gathering, Within Temptation) i find myself totally at home with this style of music, but i am often a tad dissapointed to discover another flatly produced generic prog band when i listen to the cd. Add to that the fact that i thought Lucassen's Star One live dvd / cd package was truly laughably awful, and the omens weren't too good for his latest venture.
Fortunately thats not the case with this project. What we have in esssence is a very well crafted set of 12 songs with no filler tracks. The whole album seems to flow as one with different shades of light and dark - its not just an album with crunchy riffs textured by piano and keyboards, its so much more epic sounding. Marcela Bovio's vocals are truly fantastic, and meander around the music much like The Gathering did when they were at their best. A good bonus for a shred worshipper like myself was some truly great lead guitar which this type of music often lacks - the female guitarist Lori Linstruth adds some classy melodic solos that should please fans of 80's shred legends like Lynch, Friedman and Vai.
At 55 mins the running time is about perfect too, and the bonus dvd has plenty to keep you occupied. So stop phaffing about and add it to your cart now, its a truly great piece of work in every aspect, and here's hoping to a second outing from this superior studio project."
Awesome debut from this international band
Chad W. Armstrong | 01/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Unlike some reviewers who are Ayreon fans, I became familiar with Stream Of Passion through Lori Linstruth's works. When I first received this album, I listened to practically nothing but this album for a week straight. Now that I've had the album for several months and things have settled down, I have had the chance to truly reflect on the strength of this album. Even after the initial hit, I'm still coming back to this album and loving it.
Unlike many albums which have a couple select songs which one immediately jumps straight to, this album is a masterpiece from start to finish. The album begins with "Spellbound" which is not so much a song, but more akin to a musical score set to create the atmosphere and ambiance of the coming album. The next two songs "Passion" and "Deceiver" are strong hitters. The album then comes down with "I'll Keep On Dreaming", which is a quiet song, but somewhat dark and emotionally powerful. One of my favorite songs "Haunted" is up next which has a great rhythmic vibe to it which is featured in the Stream of Passion promotional trailer. "Wherever You Are" is another one of the songs which may not catch you on the first time, but it will draw you in with subsequent listens.
The next song "Open Your Eyes" is a ballad, but it has one of the most powerful solos I've ever heard, which is on par with other songs like MSG's "Neverending Nightmare", Yngwie's "I'd Die Without You", or Electric Sun's "Indian Dawn". This is one of the crowning achievements to this album. Things pick back up with "Embrace The Storm", which is a very catchy number. "Breathing Again" is another of these numbers which may not be instantly catchy, but I've found myself coming back to this number every now and again, just like all of the songs on this album. "Out In The Real World" is another strong track, on par with "Embrace the Storm". "Nostalgia" is probably the most odd track on the album since it is pretty much vocals and piano, but it does help showcase the powerful singing on this album. The album ends off with "Calliopeia", which is an absolutely sick number, with some very Uli Jon Roth type guitar fills and leads.
Even though the album cover and linear notes feature the singer, this is NOT about the singer and that is all (Note: artists names left out intentionally). All six artists play an important part with this band with a driving bass line (which is actually turned up enough in the mix to be heard!), beautiful accompanied piano/keyboard lines, solid drumming, wild guitar solos, and some great song writing.
In the end, this is just a very solid album, which I will be listening to for years to come. Thanks Stream of Passion!"
Holy wow!
cew-locke | Colorado Springs, CO United States | 10/18/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been listening to bands like Within Temptation, Nightwish and so on. I saw a link to this album and ended up picking up a copy. There are enough reviews going really in depth about the history of the artists involved, so I'll skip all that and cut straight to it.
Musically inspired. Mellow overall, but with some great guitar crunch and phenomenal synth work that gives a punch to the beautiful melancholy this album oozes with. The vocal work is different from most of this genre. This woman's voice is much more mature and has a fullness and a sensuality that a lot of vocalists often lack.
If you don't immediately fall madly in love with this woman (or at least her voice) then I'd be deeply shocked. I was luke-warm the first listen through, but by the second I was committed to spinning this CD until it melted in my player. Get this album and prepare to be snatched away into the whole brooding, sexy, evocative wave that will emanate from your speakers."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1