Stream of Passion
Embrace the Storm
Inside Out
Take the intensity, passion and lyrical drive of Evanescence, increase it, double the talent and make the ringleader a visionary. In a vague nutshell, you would have Stream of Passion and their debut, Embrace the Storm.
Dutch guitarist/composer/producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen made a rock opera two years ago with Mexican vocalist Marcela Bovio. It was during the making of that album (The Human Equation) that he decided to form a band and take Bovio’s talent to another level. Bovio, who won a contest through Lucassen’s website to sing on the album, sounds like a more refined and polished version of Amy Lee. She has a larger vocal range, more power, and frankly she sounds like a goddess. This is clearly defined in “Deceiver,” where Bovio drives the high notes with (dare I say) passion that I have never heard before.
Bovio is not the only talent, however. Lucassen, in an attempt to feed his obsession, had more contests on his website to add members to his band. And the winners are: Dutch drummer Davy Mickers, Lori Linstruth, an American guitarist in Sweden, and another Dutchman, bass player Johan van Stratum.
Combining all of this talent and various ideas, Embrace the Storm is as diverse as the band itself, not to mention brilliant. Combining metal guitars with string arrangements, a dash of electronica and the brilliantly gothic voice of Marcela Bovio, Stream of Passion’s debut album is nothing short of extraordinary.
Inside Out: http://www.insideoutmusic.com
