Star One - Space Metal - guest review
Star One - Space Metal - guest review
Tracklist
Disc I01. Lift Off
02. Set Your Controls
03. High Moon
04. Songs Of The Ocean
05. Master Of Darkness
1 - Master Of Darkness
2 - Laserfight
06. The Eye Of Ra
1 - Gateway To The Stars
2 - The Eye Of Ra
3 - The Seventh Sign
07. Sandrider
08. Perfect Survivor
09. Intergalactic Space Crusaders
10. Starchild
1 - One By Four By Nine
2 - Starchild
3 - A New Sun
Disc II [limited edition bonus]
01. Hawkwind Medley
1 - Master Of The Universe
2 - Silver Machine
3 - Psychedelic Warlords
4 - Brainstorm
5 - Assault And Battery
6 - The War I Survived
7 - Space Is Deep
8 - Spirit Of The Age
9 - Lost Chronicles
02. Spaced Out
03. Inseparable Enemies
04. Space Oddity [David Bowie cover]
05. Starchild [mixed In Dolby Pro-logic version]
06. Spaced Out [alternative version]
07. Intergalactic Laxative [Donovan cover]
Guest review by
Immortalist August 26, 2005
Excluding the second track, songs on the album are all based on some science fiction series/movie. ''Master of Darkness´´ on Star Wars, ''Songs of The Ocean´´ on Star Trek series and so on. The songs have short storylines of the plot of the series/movie as lyrics. Containing many speeches, there are also four other vocalists besides Arjen: Dan Swanö, a well-known growler; Damian Wilson; Robert Soeterboerk; and Floor Jansen doing some female vocals.
Going on to the sound of the album, it all begins with an interesting intro called ''Lift Off´´ that leads directly to an amazing track ''Set Your Controls,´´ the only song on the album that Arjen has composed without taking the lyrical theme from some series/movie. Drums and keyboards support each other greatly and Arjen's vocals are incredible. Continuing on the album, the songs contain everything that can be required from an album. There are several parts that have really strong and interesting progressive elements. The last track, Starchild, is a long slow song to end the album; this balances out the many fast songs on the album.
There is also a bonus disc on the limited edition of this album. It contains two new songs, a David Bowie Cover "Space Oddity," and alternative versions for "Starchild" and "Spaced Out." The opener, however, is the song ''Hawkwind Medley´´ done with the co-operation of Hawkwind; Dave Brock on main vocals. There is also a hidden track ''Intergalactic Laxative´´ (Donovan Cover) which seriously can quickly make you fall back on earth especially if you read the lyrics while listening to it. There is not much to say about this side of the album, David Bowie cover was a brave attempt and Arjen managed to create quite a good cover of it, which is hard for such a classic song. The song with Hawkwind also created a masterpiece musically. The alternative versions of ''Starchild´´ and ''Spaced Out´´ do not, unfortunately, bring anything new.
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's project has created a masterpiece of the space rock-genre in a heavier form; Space Metal is a perfect definition for this album!
Written by Immortalist | August 26, 2005
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.
Rating:
8.4
8.4
|
Rating:
8.4 |
In my eyes Arjen Anthony Lucassen is one of the absolute heroes of our scene today. Over the course of a few years he has made a lot of great albums with a number of bands. What's even more astonishing though, he has made a lot of great songs in different styles. Everyone can knock out a few songs in a trademark style but how many can do it when switching between rock, pop, folk, ambient, progressive, metal and many more genres? Well there doubtlessly are very few, and Arjen Anthony Lucassen is amongst them, I ever dare to say, he's best at it. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments:
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| PowerMetal
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 Posts: 13427 |
Posts: 13427
I was expecting something from the title Space Metal, but it bored me pretty much.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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Posts: 40071 Written by Lucas on 19.08.2007 at 19:52 at least for you it was pretty much, for me it was totally boring (just like all of Lucassen's projects after he left Vengeance)
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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 Posts: 6941 |
Posts: 6941
That's crazy talk!  This album is one of the furthest from "boring" that I own. How can "Set Your Controls" not get you pumped up??! Sandrider and The Eye of Ra are haunting and powerful! You silly boys, lolAs usual Floor Jansen's vocals blow my mind. All of the vocalists, though, came and kicked this album's ass
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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 Posts: 4789 |
Posts: 4789
This album is quite good, although not as much as Ayreon's UM Part II ! And wtf is this rating. oh hello Immortalist. o_o
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Posts: 1091
@ylside: I know, I disagree with the rating I gave it too. Something beginning with 9 still, though. o_o Now that you mentioned it.. I disagree with quite much all of my own reviews. Too bad.
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| okt31
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 Posts: 4955 |
Posts: 4955
I have to check this album out!
---- "Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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Posts: 5591 Written by +{Jonas}+ on 22.01.2008 at 17:16 well it's never worth a 9.9 of course, i personally gave it something aroun 8.5 in my own review, but i'd understand ratings of 9 as well. but it's still a brilliant piece of art, if "space themed" proggish powerish metal sounds good to you, you should definitely give it a listen if you need a certain song for starting i'd propose intergalactic space crusaders, but they're all great  hope you'll enjoy it
---- BAS - Beautifully Accented Sexiness
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| Posts: 4955 |
Posts: 4955 Written by Bas on 22.01.2008 at 19:46 Well it certainly will sound good to me! Being a Starcraft fan and loving power metal, it'll fit perfectly. Thanks for the reccomendation partner.
---- "Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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Posts: 3104 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.08.2007 at 14:54 I don't think it's boring at all, but it's (like I said on the album page) a bit too cheesy (mainly the lyrics) for my taste. But are you really saying Ayreon is boring? 
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Posts: 3104 Written by Susan on 22.08.2007 at 22:07 I agree. Set Your Controls is a great song (the best on the album for me). Most other tracks are good as well, though I hate the ending of The Eye Of Ra. And yep, Floor's amazing as always, but so is Dan Swanö.
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