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STREAM OF PASSION
www.streamofpassion.com
Originally conceived back in 2005 as a side-project for prolific Dutch musician Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon fame, Stream of Passion signed to Napalm Records last year and 2009 sees the release of sophomore album, 'The Flame Within'. With Lucassen now no longer part of the band, only vocalist/violinist Marcela Bovio; bassist Johan van Stratum; and drummer Davy Mickers remain in the lineup from 2005's 'Embrace the Storm'. A quick glance at the band's official MySpace page reveals their 'Sounds Like' section to contain Within Temptation; Evanescence (!?!); The Gathering; and Lacuna Coil - a disappointingly submissive list of currently popular female fronted rock-metal acts that is at odds with the 'progressive' tag they use to label themselves at the top of the page. If you claim to be progressive, then isn't it somewhat paradoxical likening your music to other bands? Well, after listening to 'The Flame Within', apart from passing similarities, Stream of Passion sound very little like any of the aforementioned bands, but neither are they that progressive (unless you count in a generic sense). Instead, what we have here are a series of extremely well crafted symphonic metal tracks that ooze melodious exuberance, all adorned with the graceful tones of Bovio's sublime vocals. The listener is also treated to a metalled-up version of Radiohead's 'Street Spirit', perhaps a ghastly idea in theory, but one that works shockingly well in practice (although not as good as Le Gateau Chocolat's baritonal operatic rendition of 'Creep' I witnessed at La Clique in London's Hippodrome theatre earlier this year). Overall, a largely unoriginal effort, although a good, solid album.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Napalm Records
Album
THE FLAME WITHIN
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Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
54:39
RELEASE DATE:
1st June 2009
TRACK LISTING
1) The Art of Loss
2) In the End
3) Now or Never
4) When You Hurt Me The Most
5) Run Away
6) Games We Play
7) This Endless Night
8) My Leader
9) Burn My Pain
10) Let Me In
11) Street Spirit
12) A Part of You; 13) All I Know
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Netherlands
"...a series of extremely well crafted symphonic metal tracks that ooze melodious exuberance, all adorned with the graceful tones of Bovio's sublime vocals."