We are more used to big progressive rock/metal productions from 'Arjen Lucassen' with a host of guests, these most active projects being 'Ayreon' and 'Star One'. But 'Supersonic Revolution' is not yet another project from the fertile Dutchman but a kind of tribute to the formations of the 70s at the origin of hard rock with, as its name suggests, this 'Golden Age Of Music'. Initially, it was the German music magazine 'Eclipsed' which asked him to record a song for a cover album and, one thing leading to another, the project resulted in the formation of a fully fledged band very quickly and which is obviously made up of artists who have all participated in Arjen's projects: first of all, his long-time friend, keyboardist 'Joost Van Den Broek' who brings the vintage touch and takes us back for all those who experienced this period in the debut of 'Deep Purple' with the late 'Jon Lord'. The rest of the line up is made up of singer 'Jaycee Cuijpers' who sang on the last 'Start One', guitarist 'Timo Somers' (ex 'Delain') and who was also on the last 'Star One' and the rhythm section consists of drummer 'Koen Herfst' who participates, among others, in the various albums of 'Rani Chatoorgoon' and Arjen Lucassen' himself on bass.
As for the original titles, the instrumental introduction immediately puts us in the bath with keyboards à la 'Jon Lord' while recognizing the melodist touch of Arjen Lucassen', then, 'The Glamattack' (see the video above) tumbles with a quick and catchy first composition that brings us back to the beginning of hard rock and on this title it's 'Deep Purple' that immediately comes to mind. Follows the eponymous title of the album (see the video here) which pours out a chorus for us to sing along to, the together being accompanied masterfully by the keyboards of 'Joost Van Den Broek' and the guitaristic peregrinations of 'Timo Somers'. With 'The Rise Of The Starman' (see the video here), I feel like I'm listening from the Uriah Heep' from the 70s to the time of 'Firefly' on which 'Jon Lord' would have come to pose 'Purpulian' accompaniments, then, for all those who liked the beginning of hard rock, let yourself be invaded by the nostalgia of a 'Smoke On The Water' with 'Burn It Down' (even the title is a nod to the Brits' interplanetary hit). More moderate, 'Odyssey' begins in atmospheric reminiscences of the time with 'Floydian' guitars, then gains momentum for a composition bringing an original progressive side of the pioneers of the genre. Always these 'Lordian' influences with the introduction 'They Took Us By Storm' which inevitably recalls the introduction of 'Lazy' which has always been a title with an introduction source of improvisation for all the keyboardists who tackle it, then the title continues to shower us with 'Purpulian' influences. Change of scenery with 'Golden Boy' which takes us into the psychedelic of the late 60s, the keyboards still taking a prominent place and this time it's 'Pink Floyd' and the very beginnings of 'Deep Purple' with their first three albums which are in the spotlight, then, 'Holy Holy Ground' is a beautiful ballad break with a 'Jaycee Cuijpers' which has the same intonations as 'David Coverdale' in 'Soldiers Of Fortune' from 1974 with the same emotion. In an always moderate register, 'Fight Of The Century' is also typical of this beginning of the seventies with a mid-tempo with many rhythmic variations and a final instrument passage bringing a rather progressive aspect to this title, then 'Came To Mock, Stayed To Rock' concludes the original compositions with a bluesy introduction as if to show us that the majority of styles derived from rock come from the blues and in this title with an exuberant atmosphere, we have a bit of the beginnings of another legendary formation which will arrive two or three years later, I named 'Queen'. As for the covers, they consist of 'Children Of The Revolution' by 'T .Rex', 'Heard It On The X' by 'ZZ Top', the quirky 'Fantasy' from 'Earth, Wind and Fire' in a hard rock sauce and the well-known 'Love Is All' by 'Roger Glover' of his 1974 rock opera, 'The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast'.
In summary, 'Arjen Lucassen', surrounded by talented musicians, takes us back five decades to the era of the pioneers of hard rock, and, even if some will say that it is a rehash, 'Golden Age Of Music' is a real bath of youth for all those who knew this period and who were raised on the bottle of this style of the early 70s with the vinyls that we passed on between friends to discover all these formations who made the history of rock and hard rock... | |
