Ambeon - Fate Of A Dreamer review
| Band: | Ambeon |
| Album: | Fate Of A Dreamer |
| Style: | Ambient, Progressive metal |
| Release date: | May 30, 2001 |
| Guest review by: | angel. |
Disc I
01. Estranged
02. Ashes
03. High
04. Cold Metal
05. Fate
06. Sick Ceremony
07. Lost Message
08. Surreal
09. Sweet Little Brother
10. Dreamer
11. Cold Metal [Single version] [2011 re-release bonus]
12. Merry-Go-Round [2011 re-release bonus]
13. High [Remix] [2011 re-release bonus]
Disc II [Live] [2011 re-release bonus]
01. Actual Fantasy
02. Valley Of The Queens
03. Ashes
04. Charm Of The Seer
05. Castle Hall
06. Estranged
07. Temple Of The Cat
08. Isis And Osiris
09. High
10. Garden Of Emotions
11. Sick Ceremony
12. House On Mars
13. Lost Message
14. Into The Black Hole / Cold Metal
I listen to Fate Of A Dreamer every now and again, and still it feels so sweet with strong feelings flowing through every song while accentuating the surreal atmosphere which I assume it aims to deliver to the listener. I wish I could write about it more objectively but it's simply unavoidable for me how much I can fuss about its sweet awesome appeal.
The album's strength is in how Arjen Anthony Lucassen was completely successful in making every song independently interesting, while still retaining a vigorous tie between them that makes the whole album stream gently like a river in our minds. Its gentle, fresh reels of sweetness start to flow in our heads with flute tunes, sounding like one of the most awesome intros for such a fantasy-like album that prepares the listener for the rest of it; which contains more of those typical metal elements.
Yet don't ever expect too many heavy riffs, or any distinguishable crushing choruses from Fate Of A Dreamer, which is in fact an easy-listening album in the genre. I suppose Arjen Anthony Lucassen was trying to give emphasis to the dramatic side of the music. This has been quite well achieved by a good use of instruments and lyrics, such as appropriate keyboard lines contributing to what Astrid is singing about, and also decent guitar solos.
But don't get me wrong, the album is still so enjoyable, and nothing to take a nap to. You will have a mind full of surreal, and sometimes even frightful, images that are combined with delightful tones while listening to this album.
A dominating sense of nostalgia, suspense and indecisiveness begins pouring out from the very first moment of playing this album. These feelings are simply stressed by the use of the beautiful melodies that the flute and the vocal lines are accompanied by, such instances being the songs "High", "Sick Ceremony" and "Lost Message", in which the beautiful voice of Astrid van der Veen makes it doubly memorable. Although these beautiful rills of Fate Of A Dreamer are so progressive, I dare to say that they certainly contain some gothic aspects too, both musically and lyrically.
Perhaps Fate Of A Dreamer was not that satisfying for Arjen himself (as I once read in an interview), but at the moment I really believe it's totally underrated. I really wish Ambeon would have kept going with what they had started, and made more albums with such dramatic approaches and with less processed filler sounds, which I personally tend to have more in my metal inland.
Highlights: "Cold Metal", "Surreal", "Sweet Little Brother"
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by angel. | 16.10.2013
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 8
Visited by: 67 users
| mz Posts: 4832  |
Finally, we have it  . The girl has pushed the staff enough =pinteresting review and apparently, the album is really good but I do not think that I would check it out in near future
---- Giving my ears a rest from music.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419  |
Written by mz on 17.10.2013 at 02:18 Notice that Fate of a Dreamer is somewhat very mellow, don't expect  from it  , yet I like it that way.
---- The Fangirl.
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| mz Posts: 4832 |
Written by angel. on 17.10.2013 at 08:14 I have no problem with mellow and soft music. I just do not feel in mode for Arjen Anthony Lucassen music
---- Giving my ears a rest from music.
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| Ivor Staff Posts: 5515  |
What you failed to mention in your review and what is important to put Ambeon into perspective compositionally, is that every Ambeon song is a rehash of one of Ayreon songs (ie originating from albums including both Migrators). Even Wiki has a list. I.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Ivor on 17.10.2013 at 18:53 True, I didn't mention it on this review, maybe because I'm always trying to focus only on musical aspects of any album separately. But you're right perhaps I should have mentioned it in brief. 
---- The Fangirl.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62135  |
Written by mz on 17.10.2013 at 02:18 good luck band is split up, another potential talented female singer is vanished
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| AnGina-- Dark Phoenix Posts: 3555  |
I don't usually put emphasis on cover artwork, but this is one of the worst. I think it actually prevents keeps me from checking out this album, even though I've known for it for years.
---- You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man. But it was nothing to me but blinding.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by AnGina-- on 30.01.2015 at 00:44 Hmm to be honest I think it's too bad that I can't give any fuck to it, so can't even detest it so I feel nothing about it. 
---- The Fangirl.
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