AYREON (ABO#399)

... AND OTHER SHORT STORIES

(1993-2010)

Arjen Lucassen is an astonishing case. Almost completely unknown in 1998 and dutch-born, he managed to become one the most central Progressive Metal ambassadors, and maybe the most accepted for non-Prog-Metal addicts.

After having participated in bands like BODINE or VANGEANCE, Arjen Lucassen decided to have his own projects and put some more Progressiveness in his music. Very soon, he had such aura that guests like MARILLION's FISH, IRON MADEN's BRUCE DICKINSON, LANA LANE were involved into his best projects, recorded under the name of AYREON.

Beside, Lucassen founded many other bands : STAR ONE whose music is more spacy ; AMBEON is a lighter AYREON, less metal-sounding while STREAM OF PASSION is almost fully Metal oriented. Although he founded that latest band, he left it for their final album. I although decided to include that album in this chronological selection that gathers both AYREON's songs and other Lucassen's projects ones... Ayreon and Lucassen's other short stories...

The revolutionary album Into The Electric Casle(1998) That year, Lucassen was still a confidential artist, only known by an underground community. This didn't prevent him from guesting such Prog and Metal stars like FISH, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN (THE GATHERING), DAMIAN WILSON (THRESHOLD, LANDMARQ)

The best album Universal Migrator Pt 1: The Dream Sequencer(2000) Clearly the best. The wiser one, Arjen Lucassen leaves his metal habits far behind and records an album in a real Pink Floyd spirit. Mostly each song is worth the listen

The best live album Live On Earth (Star One, 2003) This album is not necessarily an essential one, but it's a good live introduction to Arjen Lucassen's universe. It includes both Ayreon and Star One repertory. Well interpreted and recorded.

The worst album Strange Hobby (Arjen Lucassen, 2003) Not even a bad one. Just a useless one. Lucassen is just having fun covering his old favourite songs. This is just sometimes surprising, especially for the Simon & Garfunkel's song or other soft pop songs played, as usual with Arjen, in a progressive metal style.

SICK OF IT ALL (ABO#398)

SICK OF IT ALL
MEAN BUSINESS

Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band, from Queens, New York, formed in 1986. Founded by brothers Lou Koller (vocals) and Pete Koller (guitar), Armand Majidi (drums) and Rich Cipriano (bass, soon replaced by ex-Agnostic Front Craig Setari). They have been known to be a major part of the New York hardcore scene. The band was formed during the era of the major hardcore decline, when many pioneering hardcore bands including Black Flag and Minor Threat disbanded. Sick of It All are now one of the most popular hardcore bands to date.

RIYL: Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Most Precious Blood

NOTRE DAME (ABO#397)

NOTRE DAME
THE VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA

Notre Dame was a Swedish metal band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2004. Members included Snowy Shaw and Vampirella (vocals) and Jean-Pierre de Sade (guitar and bass) and Mannequin de Sade (drums) two brothers who claimed to be descendants of legendary revolutionary writer Marquis de Sade. The band mixed black metal with elements of electro, horror, gothic and orchestral themes.
Geemarcus has been able to cook you a simple cd of this unique act. Thanks to him and enjoy the selection while you can.

RIYL: Cradle of Filth, Tristania, Penumbra

THE DOORS (ABO#396)

THE DOORS

MUSIC IS YOUR ONLY FRIEND

(1967-1978)

What's the point of Baistophing THE DOORS ? I know it could have been a useless effort. Their 1985 Best Of was indeed a really good one but was formated for LPs. This double-LP Best of lasted 85 minutes and my goal, here, was to manage to Baistophe that major band in a single CD. With 10 minutes long songs such as The End or When the Music's Over, it should have been an impossible challenge. I sure thought of editing those both songs but one was uncuttable, and the other one was a sacrifice to edit. I then thought of the edited version of The End included in Apocalypse Now OST. This choice may be taken for a blasphemy, but, on one and, I don't think this is a bad cut and it's quite another atmosphere and on the other hand, The End had was already chosen by SFP to illustrate his last VAC Baistophe. So my choice was made.

This Baistophe is really a personnal compilation made with my own tastes. So you won't have to be surprised not to find songs like The Crystal Ship, Roadhouse Blues or Hello I Love. Songs I do love but not enough compared with the ones I kept, to begin with Indian Summer, Peace Frog or The WASP that I thought unfair not to be on the 1985 compilation.

Make your own opinion. This must be the proof that a band like The Doors, with 5 major albums, can't be Baistophe on a single CD...

My DOORS TOP :

1. L.A. Woman (1971)

2. The Doors (1967)

3. Waiting For The Sun (1968)

4. Morrison Hotel (1970)

5. Strange Days (1967)

6. The Soft Parade (1969)

7. Other Voices (1972)

8. An American Prayer (1978)

9. Full Circle (1973)

JOE BONAMASSA (ABO#395)

JOE BONAMASSA

BLUES IN GOLD

(1994-2010)

NO, it's not over yet. As SFP said last july, we had to have a little break, just because we had gone too wild in our post frequency. So we're back and we'll post a bit rarer. One of the very first reasons why we wanted to go on was for those who had sent us their work. We felt it was unfair to keep them unavailable to you. Joe Bonamassa's BAISTOPHE is one of those works and we simply thank our new contributor Hot Bear to have done this artist. I had already known Joe for a long time because I was invited to buy his very first solo album. I wasn't really into blues at that time but that kind of blues really fit me, especially when I saw that the young guy (aged 23 in 2000) had covered Jethro Tull and Rory Gallagher, artists I really was found of. But, funily I didn't go forward in discovering this artist. Until Hot Bear sent me this. I found this was a really great idea to BAISTOPHE him, and I found it was a really great idea to begin this second life with him too, because he's worth it.

RIYL : KENNY WAYNE SHEPPERD, JONNY LANG