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.

GROBSCHNITT (ABO#231)

GROBSCHNITT

SCHNELL GEMACHT, GUT GEMACHT

1972-1987

Formed in 1970 the band existed till 1989, GROBSCHNITT (which translates to ROUGH CUT) was the best German band from the mid-Seventies (ELOY were then in a more PINK FLOYD... and ambient style). All of the members of the band adopted pseudonyms, namely "Eroc", "Mist", "Wildschwein", "Lupo" and "Popo". The band was created by Joachim "Eroc" Ehrig (drums, percussion), Stefan "Wildschwein" Daneliak (guitars & vocals), and Gerd-Otto "Lupo" Kühn (guitar, vocals). This nucleus was later completed by Wolgang "Popo" Jäger (bass) and Volker "Mist" Kahrs (keyboards, Mellotron, synthesizers). They were best known as a clone of YES (symphonic progressive group), but they also explored other progressive rock styles (either psychedelic prog or more cohesive "Krautrock" with some stunning instrumental passages that will be familiar to anyone into the likes of MAN, AMON DUUL II, WISHBONE ASH and many similar bands). Their sound was characterized by sometimes long suites allowing ambitious composition developments, with intermingled themes, rhythms, climates changes and symphonic passages. A very compelling brand of musical moods: haunting melodies, funny voices (by Eroc), wonderful guitar work, great synthesizer sounds, strange drumming/effects man, and sophisticated arrangements. This eclectic German band became one of the most popular live acts in German history. (progarchives)

My Grobschnitt TOP3:

1- Ballerman (1974)

2- Rockpommel's Land (1977)

3- Grobschnitt (1972)

My Grobschnitt BOTTOM3:

1- Fantasten (1987)

2- Razzia (1982)

3- Kinder & Narren (1984)

OZRIC TENTALCES (ABO#161)

OZRIC TENTACLES
INTROSPECTIONS
(1984-2008)

Ozric Tentacles was born at the wrong time. Emerging in the 80s, when music had to be simple, soft and meaningless, Ozric took the place Gong had left half a decade earlier. But,unlike Gong, OT didn't put either jazz or progressive sounds in their space cake, but dub and electronica... Except that big difference, the filiation is an unarguable evidence. For example, the spacey sounds emanating from the synthesizers are a clear heritage of Venux Deluxe. Of course, OT were/are much more than just a reincarnation of Gong, they have a sound and style of their own but one can find them to be the most fitting equivalent to Gong's trippy sound for the modern age. Damn, Steve Hillage even played with them
Beginning in the midsts of the brit underground, using the good old D.I.Y. to release their material and selling it to people attending their concerts, Ozric Tentacles slowly became an iconic figure of the popular non-broadcastable music. Their last album, a live one, is one of the best things they've released in a handful of years... None of its tracks will appear here because, as we usually do, this baistophe essentially features studio tracks with the notable exception of Aumriff which is, as you might have already guessed, an adaptation of Gong's Om Riff.
Take a trip in the Tentacles of Ozric, you will not regret it!

Ozric Tentacles - Kick 98
envoyé par djgreenuts

My Ozric Tentacles TOP3 :
1. Jurassic Shift (1993)
2. Arborescence (1994)
3. Curious Corn (1997)

My Ozric Tentacles BOTTOM3 :
1. Floating Seeds Remixes (1999)
2. Swirly Terminations (2000)
3. Tantric Obstacles (1984)