THE DIARY

 

THE GENTLE STORM! AN EPIC MADE STORM!

 

The Review!

 

By Darkzen

25/07/15

 

A little biography of the band!

 

It is a proyect musical with the talented  Anneke van Giersbergen author and composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen, founder and leader of other musical projects such as Star One, Ayreon, Guilt Machine and Ambeon musical project. The duo previously collaborated on albums Ayreon Into The Electric Castle and 01011001. The Journal and The Diary, was released on March 23, 2015, in Europe, and the next day in the US and it consists of a double album, with the first part being a full metalera work and the second with a lighter popular approach so that both parties have music!

 

The concept of the álbum

 

The album depicts the life of Joseph Warwijck (born in Amsterdam in 1644) and Susanne Vermeer (born in Delft in 1647). They married in 1666 and lived in Lindengracht, Amsterdam. The story is set in the 1600s during the Golden Age of the 17th century, when the Dutch sailed to many distant parts of the Dutch world; trade in gold, silver and goods with many other territories. Joseph was a young officer serving with the VOC (Verenigde Oost-In-Dische Compagnie), also called the Dutch East India Company, which recounts the events of their lives and unexpected moments until today diaries and letters Joseph and Susanne of as heirlooms handed down from generation to generation. Finally they were stored in a wooden box and placed in the attic of the family farm. There they remained until they were rediscovered in the 21st century.

 

Álbum: The Diary

Country: Netherlands

Band: The Gentle Storm

Alignment:

 

Anneke van Giersbergen - lead singer

 

Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Electric and Acoustic Guitar, bass, keyboards and hammered dulcimer

 

Musicians and Members

 

Marcela Bovio - Voices background (Live Shows)

Johan van Stratum - bass

Ed Warby - Drums

Rob Snijders - Percussion

Joost van den Broek - Piano

Ben Mathot - Violin

Maaike Peterse - Cello

Hinse Mutter - Double bass

Jenneke de Jonge - French Horn

Jeroen Goossens - Wind Instrument

Michael Mills - Irish bouzouki

Timo Somers - Solo Guitar

Epic Rock Choir - Choir

 

Genre: Symphonic / Progressive Metal / Folk Rock

 

Let's Review! As the album is extensive, I will summarize for this you see the two versions given that one has the soft disk arrays and the second part Metal version!

 

CD1: Gentle and CD2: Storm

 

1 Endless Sea

 

2 Heart of Amsterdam

 

3 The Greatest Love

 

4 Shores Of India

 

5 Cape Of Stoms

 

6 The Moment

 

7 The Storm

 

8 Eyes Of Michiel

 

9 Brightest Light

 

10 New Horizons

 

11 Epilogue: The Final Entry

 

Sound of the sea, folk mixed with nature, temple bells, choir and orchestra give us the way to a tragic story full of emotions where the beautiful voice of Anneke anger building beautiful melodies and passages of history and so we enter with "Endless Sea", where the elements are appearing in this way. "Heart of Amsterdam" is a sublime subject and gives us a part of what will be the story of the album, being chosen as the first single from the álbum music video era with many excellent detail, with melodies reminiscent of chamber music a chorus that hooks to follow the story a brilliant guitar solo and violin in its intermediate part of the song, where they end up mingling melodiously. "The Greatest Love" is unique and beautiful with curious chorus to be heard with great attention and other union guitar-violin brilliant!

 

Then we have a gem "Shores of India", the second single from the album, an excellent work that has a very beautiful conceptual impact, together with the music takes us to that special moment with a rhythm sound coupled with their unique voice of Anneke .

In "Cape of Storms" atmospheres created by the orchestra and choruses where the topic is bound with electrical instruments into total relaxation in exquisite sounds. And this style is very similar to "The Moment", a calm, orchestral sounds that ultimately leaves us with a surprising theme Baroque sound. "The Storm" is where we find the hardest riff of this work, now reaching more heavies very Epic fragments!

 

"Eyes of Michiel" very original work, shapes or builds an entire song based on it, with the violin and the guitar joint one by one. "Brightest Light" a song a little different with this touch but maybe something a little repetitive and less composed as above we have heard, "New Horizons", reminds us a little to the tune of "Brightest Light" although unlike This lengthens the flute sound we feel Brightest Light. And finally "Epilogue: The Final Entry" a short work of two minutes ends the story reproduced one by one, with something like "The Moment" style.

 

My Recomendation;

Musical Creativity and Technical

 

It's a very creative álbum, and expected something like Arjen Master!

 

Musically the album '' Suave''o '' Gentle 'is more complex and interesting for both versions, there is an incredible diversity and equity instruments that give the unique style of the band. The second album '' Storm '' as we have heard is not very heavy, with a style of traditional drums and guitar driven softer counterpart.

 

The album "The Diary", the first album by The Gentle Storm. It gives us the opportunity to delve into his side's Folk Álbum edition given the kind of acoustic or electrical issues.

 

Undoubtedly the seal and distinction as a composer Arjen Lucassen when producing the disc is printed on every corner of the album "The Diary". Also his taste for conceptual works and detailing in history to bring into your album! In this case telling a story set in the seventeenth century history.

 

We are facing a complex varied album and Arjen looks back both his side's heavy as to symphonic fantastically, writing a series of issues where the voice of Anneke is mixed to perfection, with a frame of mind as I have been saying in my past Super Tops, very beautiful! With a warm timbre very sublime!

 

The Good

It has a rich musical production and technical and full of well-crafted music!

 

The Bad

I do not see anything bad really, but maybe his heavy hand, however excellent stay!

 

Cover Art:

Excellent, striking in many ways the story of the álbum and the Sea something remarkable in Arjen Albums!

 

Vocal: Anneke van Giersbergen

 

Voice type (Tessitura): Soprano / Mezzo

 

The record of her voice is beautiful, both acute and serious is impressive and remarkable! was the lead singer and principal of the Dutch band The Gathering of 1995-2007 and in his solo project called Agua de Annique or now simply Anneke van Giersbergen. He has also worked with other bands like The Farmer Boys, Ayreon, Napalm Death, Moonspell, Giant Squid, Within Temptation, Anathema and Novembers Doom.

 

Vocal: Marcela Bovio

 

Beautiful voice with a soft Tessitura and light! Which makes a great duet on this álbum!

 

http://news.femalemetal.com/2014/04/marcela-bovio-interview.html

 

Score:

 

10/10

 

More Info:

Official Web site:

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheGentleStorm

 

http://www.arjenlucassen.com/content/the-gentle-storm-arjen-and-anneke

 

https://www.facebook.com/annekevangiersbergenofficial

 

https://www.facebook.com/arjen.a.lucassen