'Chain Reaktor' is a formation of Dutch origin created by 2 brothers, Bart and Arjan Laan, both members of the group a href='https://open.spotify.com/artist/6oObecTT9fit0WsjvlpOqR?si=gUwp5X9jRd2pMqUI03GRbw&dl_branch=1' target='_ blank'>'Skylake' and whose father 'Erik Laan' (who also participates in the adventure) is not a stranger since he is part of the group 'Silhouette'. They release their first studio recording 'Homesick' which takes us for an hour of melodic progressive mixing different styles in relatively complex constructions.
It is with 'The Day That Never Come' that album begins with a long development typical of a rich and varied progressive which requires to linger there to tame it well and which shows all the talent as well vocal as instrumental of this formation with magnificent choirs and interventions of keyboards and flute embroidering around the melodic theme, then, 'Lonely City' continues, without transition with a calm and aerial introduction with still the flute of 'Bart Laan' but which after a minute and a half, takes off for a catchy rhythm with some rhythmic breaks throughout the title and a very beautiful final guitar solo. More direct, 'Enjoy Your Life' offers us an endearing melody in a catchy mid-tempo, then, 'The Lying King' returns to more complex progressive, the vocal harmonies being remarkable and the changes in intensity taking us through sections with saturated electric guitar riffs to more measured parts accompanied by the violin of 'Sophie Zaaijer' while having accessible melodic lines. New long development with the eponymous title of the album which this time unfolds at a slow tempo with the contribution of the acoustic instruments, violin, piano, guitar and saxophone and which takes us on a melancholy first part and which, at the middle, accelerates the rhythm and hardens the tone with a long instrumental part alternating guitar solo and energetic keyboards and whose sung finale is more measured. 'Stop Yelling' continues in refined progressive in several much less direct drawers, the rhythm section leading the dance with multiple tempo changes, the finale returning to much more accessible melodic lines. And it is with 'A Thousand Diamonds', summing up the style of this formation, that the album ends with a last memorable melody sublimated by very beautiful choirs and beautiful instrumental sections.
In summary, the new project 'Chain Reaktor' of the Laan family is very promising and shows all the talent of the Dutch to embark us in rich and inventive compositions that should appeal to an audience loving progressive albums to discover little by little, listen after listen... | |
