I've always liked multi-faceted artists who don't stick to one style of music and 'Ruud Jolie' is one of them: member of 'Within Temptation' since 2001, he also created the project 'For All We Know', mixing rock and progressive metal, with a first eponymous album in 2011 in which he invited many artists including 'Léo Margarit' from 'Pain Of Salvation' and 'Kristoffer Gildenlöw' (ex 'Pain Of Salvation') but also the singer of 'Within Temptation', 'Sharon Del Adel'. A second album followed in 2017 ('Take Me Home' ) and 2024 sees the release of his third studio recording, 'By Design Or By Disaster' in which we find 'Léo Margarit' and 'Kristoffer Gildenlöw', the hip-hop and RnB singer 'Jermain Van Der Bogt' alias 'Wudstik' ('Ayreon') and the pianist 'Marco Kuypers'.
The first listen to this latest album shows a very wide variety of styles which coexist in a beautiful way, and we navigate through different progressive influences which go from its origin to now. 'Forced To Bee Free' opens the ball in an energetic and catchy atmosphere which can recall the 'Genesis' of the 80s in the parts sung by 'Wudstik' and which benefits from a beautiful instrumental section in the second part in which 'Ruud Jolie' offers us a remarkable guitar solo, then 'Lifeline' continues in this imaginative progressive, this time with beautiful vocal harmonies and a more massive sound, 'Wudstik' bringing a more theatrical side to its interpretation (see video above). Bathed in electronic sounds, 'This Hell We Know' deploys a new composition made of beautiful alternations between energetic sections and others much more tranquil, the piano part played by 'Marco Kuypers' coming to soften the subject after the riffs of guitar more marked and the vocal performance of 'Wudstik' being admirable with striking contrasts between the calm high-pitched singing then angry afterwards. Follows 'The Future That Came Too Soon' which continues in this contrasting progressive and 'Leo Margarit' again brings in this title all his talent on the drums to offer us multiple rhythmic changes (see the video here), then, 'All We Did Was Hide' offers us a magnificent acoustic ballad in which 'Wudstik' shows that he also has this talent to move us in more refined atmospheres. After the short 'Hush' which is a sort of interlude in the form of a crescendo offering beautiful aerial vocals, 'Remind Me to Forget You' begins in an energetic way but subsequently presents beautiful alternations between quiet verses and a very more vigorous with beautiful vocal harmonies. With 'Flaws', after a refined piano/vocal introduction in the same style as the project 'Blackfield' from the duo 'Steven Wilson'/'Aviv Geffen', the saturated guitars take over in a much more muscular atmosphere in which 'Wudstik' shows a rougher face, then, the title is a real roller coaster which navigates between energetic parts and other calmer ones, the rhythm section again offering numerous changes of tempo. In the same style, follows 'Guide Me In Getting Los' which also presents alternations of intensity and which, like its predecessor, requires several listens to fully master it. More accessible, 'Ghosts Of Summer's Past' offers us a unifying chorus with very beautiful choirs, while keeping these changes of atmosphere between strong and weak beats which is a constant on this album, then, we end our beautiful progressive journey with 'Goodbye' on a ballad in which 'Wudstik' accompanies us with his delicate singing and in which 'Ruud Jolie' shows his guitar talents one last time, the whole benefiting from a magnificent crescendo before falling back into a piano/duet. moving voice.
In summary, 'Ruud Jolie', surrounded by talented artists, offers us an excellent album which offers contrasting atmospheres requiring us to linger there to extract all the richness which destines 'By Design Or By Disaster ' to an audience navigating between rock and progressive metal and who likes to take their time to soak up these numerous changes of atmosphere within each composition... | |
