Arjen Lucassen’s Guilt Machine – On This Perfect Day

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Anticipation of a new Arjen Lucassen project is always high, and the hope for this one was mostly somewhere along the lines of a progressive take on Stream of Passion with a male singer (Jasper Steverlinck from Arid). Instead the result sounds like a number of other bands, with occasional Lucassen trademarks. For example opener Twisted Coil sounds very much like Opeth‘s mellow side for the most part, with stock Lucassen riffs for the heavy sections. Other parts sound like they could have come from the pen of Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), but the predominant reminiscence is of Dream Theater, and particularly Steverlinck’s vocal similarities to James LaBrie. Over and Perfection? in particular give this impression (the lead guitar melodies on Perfection? are superb, however). On the last Ayreon album, 01011001, there were notably fewer heavy sections, and on this album there are fewer still. Most of the disc is mellow with fleeting moments of bombast, and although good, this coupled with the similarities to so many other bands mean this is by no means Arjen’s best work. However, being a band project (also featuring former Porcupine Tree drummer Chris Maitland and former Stream of Passion guitarist Lori Lindstruth), some rare touring may be in the offing, and that’s always welcomed by Lucassen fans.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Progressive, Quick.Play Reviews, Guilt Machine