Ambeon - Fate Of A Dreamer


Year of Release: 2001
Label: Transmission
Catalog Number: TM-030
Format: CD
Total Time: 51:29:00

"The name Ambeon is a combination of 'ambient' and 'Ayreon.' The songs on this CD are based on Ayreon songs, with new lyrics and melodies written and performed by 14 year old singer, Astrid van der Veen."

The opening paragraph defines this disc perfectly. It comes directly from the CD, and basically it's Ayreon music played in a New Age style, with swirling keyboards, synths, the semi-crunching guitars of Arjen Lucassen, and a pop-style 14 year-old singer performing different lyrics than the original Ayreon music.

Leave it to Arjen Lucassen to come up with a side project like this one. It actually works. Ayreon music by itself is extremely atmospheric, and when it's transformed into a New Age style, it becomes surreal, to say the least. You will definitely have to enjoy the New Age style of music to enjoy this disc, along with the very poppy vocals of Astrid van der Veen. While the song titles and lyrics have been transposed to fit the Ambeon project, you will still recognize the Ayreon based original melodies from which the song structures were born. The bottom line is that this is a dreamy, atmospheric, surreal disc, which certainly won't do much for metal heads, but might enthrall fans of Ayreon who want to hear Arjen Lucassen at work in a different light. My only personal complaint with the whole concept is the poppy vocal approach. While it does work, it does remind me of what today's modern teen singers sound like on the radio. Astrid would certainly make the teen list of modern heroes and sounds like she should be singing in one of today's modern teen group, which dominates the radio airwaves these days.

The sound was completely produced and mixed by Arjen Lucassen, which means that sound quality is way over the top and more than excellent by any standards. Add in the fact that the great Sascha Paeth mastered the disc, and you have the highest quality standards of sound known to man. The sound will certainly test your stereo system and show it off proudly. It's perfection and beyond, but what else would we expect from Arjen Lucassen.

If you're looking for something completely different, and something from Arjen Lucassen while we anxiously await the next Ayreon disc, this should fit the bill nicely. Love of New Age music is a must, and if you don't mind the poppy approach to the vocals, this is sheer excellence as it stands.


Tracklisting:
Estranged (2:47) / Ashes (5:29) / High (4:12) / Cold Metal (6:50) / Fate (7:39) / Sick Ceremony (3:44) / Lost Message (4:30) / Surreal (4:37) / Sweet Little Brother (6:06) / Dreamer (5:17)

Musicians:
Astrid Van Der Veen - vocals, backing vocals
Arjen Lucassen - acoustic and electric guitars, analogue keyboards, samples
Stephen Van Haestregt - acoustic and electronic drums, percussion
Walter Latupeirissa - bass, fretless bass

Guests:

John McManus - low flute, uilleann pipes
Pat McManus - fiddle
Erik Norlander - additional synths
Lana Lane - reversed backing vocals

Discography:
Fate Of A Dreamer (2001)

Genre: Other

Origin VA

Added: February 8th 2002
Reviewer: Larry "LarryD" Daglieri

Artist website: www.ayreon.com
Hits: 2262
Language: english

  

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