Stream of Passion - Embrace the Storm

2005 Album Award

Having finished his masterpiece with his project Ayreon, 2004’s The Human Equation, mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen (ex-Bodine, Vengeance) sought a platform to showcase the talents of Mexican singer Marcela Bovio. Bovio played “Wife” on Equation, winning the role after entering a tape through a contest on Lucassen’s website. To surround Bovio for the Stream of Passion project, Lucassen stepped in on guitar and recruited Dutch drummer Davy Mickers, American guitarist Lori Linstruth, Mexican pianist Alejandro Millán (Bovio’s boyfriend) and Dutch bassist Johan van Stratum. Leave it to metal to unite the nations of the earth… After a healthy exchange of musical ideas (mostly online), the group has come up with 2005’s Embrace The Storm.

The album begins with “Spellbound,” an atmospheric track that emphasizes the goth and ambient elements popularized by bands like The Gathering and Evanescence. Bovio’s voice is strong and beautiful—there is no denying her talent. This leads into “Passion” and now we can hear some of Lucassen’s touches in the swirling synths and orchestration. Embrace the Storm begins to grab me with this song’s chorus—it is crystalline and gorgeous. I love the playing here—everyone is intense, interesting; like Mickers, who really mixes up his grooves, something not terribly common in this genre. “Deceiver” is another strong track with emotional riffing and by now I’m really enjoying this. Millán’s touches on piano and the violin work on this track by Bovio herself are impressive. Ditto for the great lead by Linstruth. Wow, I love the ending with the heavy riffing and Mickers picking up the tempo while Linstruth’s lead guitars whine in the background. Cello is the latest instrument to be added on “I’ll Keep on Dreaming,” although it is not credited. Lucassen does interesting, it not entirely original things with the production here, using different sounds, filters, electronica. On “Haunted,” Bovio whispers to us in her native Spanish. More heavy riffing(!) on this track and a nice, ethereal chorus with great vocals by Bovio. OK, folks now we’re hearing Lion’s Share-level doom metal on “Wherever You Are.” Sweet harmonies soar all around us as Lucassen and Linstruth chop up riffs and blaze through leads. This is hot stuff—great guitars, keyboards, voices, everything. The title track is first where I can really hear the folkish orchestral elements that were prominent on Human Equation—Bovio’s violin is undoubtedly under the close direction of Lucassen here. I also have a small bone to pick…by this point, too many songs are cycling through the Quiet Verse/Loud Emotional Chorus formula. I would have liked a bit more variation. Another great chorus on “Out in the Real World” and solid synth and piano work by Millán. Bovio combines Spanish and English lyrics and again she soars. “Nostalgia” is a beautiful change of pace, a sweet piano ballad with multi-layered vocals, Marcela singing in her native tongue. The final track is “Calliopeia,” and they’ve saved the heaviest for last. This opening riff is pretty nasty, squawky. They also get into some nice jams, which is rare on this album. I’d like to hear more of that element in the future, although I must admit, the fact that they keeps these tracks short and to the point is a blessing—nothing ever goes on too long. I love the end here, with Marcela and her boyfriend taking things out on an ambient, eerie note.

I’ll admit that I didn’t really expect too much from this disc. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Bovio on The Human Equation. It’s just that I thought maybe Lucassen was in love with a pretty Mexican girl and maybe pushing this thing too far (well, I still think that). But like so many other reviewers have pointed out, everything Arjen touches seem to turn to gold. He’s put together another great project here that, perhaps unlike his others, is capable of attracting a wide, even mainstream, audience. I wish him nothing but the best. The prog community continues to fixate on Dream Theater, Symphony X and Fates Warning and Lucassen is quietly outperforming them all.