ALBUM REVIEW: Revel In Time – Star One

Arjen Anthony Lucassen is unquestionably most well-known for his now-decades spanning prog-metal-cum-rock-opera project AYREON, a cosmic mix of high concepts and narrative-heavy albums that have managed to pull some of metal’s greatest vocalists and musicians in to their orbit. However, Lucassen has always been extremely prolific, starting various side projects throughout his career that see him stretch out from AYREON’s musical genre fusion into more sonically consistent ventures. Of those, STAR ONE is probably the most analogous to AYREON thanks to its enclave of vocalists and progressive tendencies. However, STAR ONE has always been a more streamlined beast, trading in the narrative-dense music for a far more singular focus of heavier, guitar-centric progressive metal. The outfit’s third album, Revel In Time, builds on the project’s relatively short legacy by maintaining that approach. No multi-disc-spanning epic adventures here, but instead we have 11 self-contained tracks across one album. Well, sort of, but we’ll come on to that.

If the title wasn’t a clue, Revel In Time is loosely themed around time – well, more specifically, films inspired by time travel. Each number is its own ode to a classic temporally tweaked adventure, with the sources of inspiration ranging from pure sci-fi (say, Interstellar) to comedy classics (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and everything in-between. On paper, a metallic tribute to Groundhog Day sounds ridiculous, but in execution… well, it is still sort of ridiculous, but charmingly so and masterfully executed.

With each song referencing an individual film, Lucassen has taken a leaf out of his AYREON book and called in a different guest vocalist per track. This is in stark contrast to the previous two STAR ONE albums, both of which saw a core troupe of singers from across the globe sing alongside one another. While the original STAR ONE cast return, they are now accompanied by a number of additional guests. Considering the range of cinematic influences covered, the single singer per track approach works well, imbuing each number with its own distinct character. Indeed, there is something unexpectedly fitting about listening to Jeff Scott Soto belt out lyrics based on Back To The Future, or UNLEASH THE ARCHERS’ Brittney Slayes waxing lyrical about The Terminator.

But all the guests in the world would be meaningless without the music and song-writing to back it up. Those familiar with Lucassen’s work in other groups will know he is skilled at balancing melodic hooks alongside long instrumental passages, and in that regard STAR ONE is no different. However, what’s most surprising about Revel In Time is how guitar-focused it is, bringing with it a metric ton of proggy heaviness. Not only do riffs and leads take more of a forefront than before, but the guitars are often down-tuned, with their notes sludgily bent or aggressively muted – a far cry from the more ornate sensibilities of AYREON. Yet Lucassen’s penchant for classic rock melodies and instrumental interludes remains, preventing the songs from being heavy just for the sake of it.

Accompanied by some of the genre’s best singers, the results are a frankly astounding equilibrium of heavy riffs and AOR. Take Back To The Past, which sees CHEAP TRICK-esque verses balanced by dirgy organs and the baritone musings of Jeff Scott Soto before moving in to a groove metal middle eight accompanied by a discordant Bumblefoot solo; it’s as if Lucassen has put STARZ, YES and PANTERA in to a blender. Despite opening with bendy, molten leads and rumbling palm muted riffs, A Hand On The Clock somehow manages to shift gears down to delicate 70s prog rock like it’s no big deal, before Floor Jansen ends it on an ear-shattering high. Similarly, The Year Of ’41 is essentially a power pop banger channelled through chugging riffs to compelling effect.

There are even a few moments where the slavish dedication to melodic balance leans slightly more in favour of the heavier; the Donnie Darko inspired 28 Days (Til The End Of Time) evokes the darker side of SYMPHONY X thanks to the unsettling muted squeal of its riffs and, of course, the gritty vocals of Russell Allen; whereas Today Is Yesterday is the sound of STATIC-X covering ELO, while barking about Groundhog Day (no, seriously). Even in the darker moments, there’s a palpable sense of fun about Revel In Time thanks to Lucassen’s never-ending synth embellishments and the subject matter of the songs. This is sincerely excellent metal, but you can’t help but imagine it being delivered with a slight smirk.

It’s also a lavish release, too. If the core 11 tracks weren’t enough, densely packed and layered as they are, STAR ONE provides a second disc to Revel In Time consisting of an alternate version of the entire album. The core difference on this second batch are the vocalists; wanting to shine a light on the singers who provided the original guide vocals, Lucassen has left the contributions of frequent collaborators like Marcela Bovio and Irene Jansen in tact on this disc. Curiously, also involved are a few other random guests such as one-time BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin. All the performances are stellar, and it’s great to have these singers given a bit more of a spotlight. However, something is lost in the translation simply due to the distinct novelty of having an individual singer per track – this ‘bonus album’ is definitely more for the self-proclaimed Ayreonauts out there.

With Revel In Time, STAR ONE make the case for their relevancy against a backdrop of AYREON and other Lucassen penned projects. The surprisingly serene mix of heavy riffs, progressive interludes and power pop melodies coupled with the idiosyncratic subject matter sees Lucassen and co. truly revel in the music they’ve created. It’s joyous, haunting, heavy and a just a bit ridiculous. It’s also yet another great addition to the discography of one of melodic metal’s true auteurs.

Rating: 8/10

Revel In Time is set for release on February 18th via InsideOutMusic.

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