Lorian (Germany): Neo/Crossover Prog

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   Already suggested about 11 years ago, but the suggestion fell on barren ground: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30271. 
Just one track on YouTube that I could find, and I've just copied the text accompanying it underneath the embedded video to aid the teams in creating a bio:

"A German band from Lingen, active through the 90's and featuring Robert Schroeder on vocals, Christian Goewert on guitar, Wolfgang Rautland on keyboards, Achim Opitz on drums and Andreas Lindt on bass.It appears that Lorian had its debut ready by 1994, recorded at the Joswig Studio in Duesseldorf, but due to problems with their previous label the album ''Virginal  Mind'' was put on ice for about a year. In 1995 the group became part of the Edel label, opening the way for the album's release.
They never became popular even among Neo Prog fans, but this is time to change, because the Germans were definitely among the talented and promising names of the genre. Closest comparison would be Australians ARAGON with bits from MARILLION circa-''Clutching at straws'', but Lorian had a tendency to write long tracks with pompous keyboards and driving grooves, taking advantage of a great vocalist. The music is pretty energetic and intricate, always within the light symphonic aura and the striking passages of the Neo Prog tag, and there are moments were a slight AOR nuance surfaces in the compositions. But the overall atmosphere swirls between pompous and epic moments, featuring powerful synthesizers and guitars and some very interesting lyrical parts and choruses. Moreover Schroeder belongs certainly among the most efficient voices of 90's German Prog scene and the material on ''Virginal mind'' is pretty balanced with a variety of tempos and climates. Shades of ARENA appear during the more symphonic or heavier, guitar-driven moments, the album is not very personal as a whole, but who cares, when the music is executed with passion, filled with memorable themes and grandiose textures.
Future was not very bright for this overlooked band, as they got trapped into line-up problems, at some point the singer took over the bass duties. By 1999, when Schroeder decided to abandon the Lorian ship, the core was reduced to the duo of Goewert and Rautland, who were looking for new musicians. But with no further news it appears that did never happen in the long term.
Great German Neo Prog from the 90's. Dynamic and impressive musicianship with good songwriting and some superb instrumental lines with an epic sound. Strongly recommended.
Cover-Art by Rainer Kalwitz."
Added to progfreak by DAVAST three years ago, but no PA tab exists:http://progfreak.com/Lorian-161984.html.
See also:
https://www.proggnosis.com/Artist/4996.
http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=year&albumId=988&year=1995.
https://www.discogs.com/Lorian-Virginal-Mind/release/1336803.

Nothing on any of the major streaming sites that I could find, but because this music tends toward the more melodic side of Neo Prog, I've asked the Crossover team to have a listen to the album in the first instance. 

Edit: Wolfgang Rautland and Andreas Lindt went on to join the band 'Lugaburn', which was formed in Göttingen by Thomas Schoppe (guitar, vocals), with Christian Raschdorf completing the line-up on drums - and they released a CD called 'Crystallized' in September 2014 after Thomas relocated to Messingen-Brümsel in Emsland. The quartet began recording their album in a soundproofed cellar before finishing work on a proper studio in Osnabrück, and their music is characterized by the sounds of the 70s and 80s, but they are probably not quite as proggy as Lorian were.

Christian Raschdorf's favourite band is Toto, and he suggests that some of their songs may be compared with the Scottish band Simple Minds.

You can read more about Lugaburn here (on page 3 of the publication, which is in German): http://epaper.el-kurier.de/pdf/ausgabe/37176/2015-10-11_ELI_So.pdf.

Lugaburn are still active as far as I know, and their music can be freely sampled.

On YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obxmgpi4svk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HSDeRErWsQ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLdJSukqcJw.

Four radio edit samples on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chris0204.

And the full album on Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/en/album/8533045.
...or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3KGOQ3eJw9aWdgD9bFtm4z.

Facebook (as a source of possible further info regarding the history of Lorian...if approved): https://www.facebook.com/Lugaburn-180943381964879/.

Edited by yam yam - July 28 2017 at 23:38

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yam yam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Collaborator Crossover Team Joined: June 16 2011 Location: Kerberos Status: Online Points: 6379	Topic: Lorian (Germany): Neo/Crossover Prog Posted: July 26 2017 at 21:21
	Already suggested about 11 years ago, but the suggestion fell on barren ground: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30271. Just one track on YouTube that I could find, and I've just copied the text accompanying it underneath the embedded video to aid the teams in creating a bio: "A German band from Lingen, active through the 90's and featuring Robert Schroeder on vocals, Christian Goewert on guitar, Wolfgang Rautland on keyboards, Achim Opitz on drums and Andreas Lindt on bass.It appears that Lorian had its debut ready by 1994, recorded at the Joswig Studio in Duesseldorf, but due to problems with their previous label the album ''Virginal Mind'' was put on ice for about a year. In 1995 the group became part of the Edel label, opening the way for the album's release. They never became popular even among Neo Prog fans, but this is time to change, because the Germans were definitely among the talented and promising names of the genre. Closest comparison would be Australians ARAGON with bits from MARILLION circa-''Clutching at straws'', but Lorian had a tendency to write long tracks with pompous keyboards and driving grooves, taking advantage of a great vocalist. The music is pretty energetic and intricate, always within the light symphonic aura and the striking passages of the Neo Prog tag, and there are moments were a slight AOR nuance surfaces in the compositions. But the overall atmosphere swirls between pompous and epic moments, featuring powerful synthesizers and guitars and some very interesting lyrical parts and choruses. Moreover Schroeder belongs certainly among the most efficient voices of 90's German Prog scene and the material on ''Virginal mind'' is pretty balanced with a variety of tempos and climates. Shades of ARENA appear during the more symphonic or heavier, guitar-driven moments, the album is not very personal as a whole, but who cares, when the music is executed with passion, filled with memorable themes and grandiose textures. Future was not very bright for this overlooked band, as they got trapped into line-up problems, at some point the singer took over the bass duties. By 1999, when Schroeder decided to abandon the Lorian ship, the core was reduced to the duo of Goewert and Rautland, who were looking for new musicians. But with no further news it appears that did never happen in the long term. Great German Neo Prog from the 90's. Dynamic and impressive musicianship with good songwriting and some superb instrumental lines with an epic sound. Strongly recommended. Cover-Art by Rainer Kalwitz." Added to progfreak by DAVAST three years ago, but no PA tab exists:http://progfreak.com/Lorian-161984.html. See also: https://www.proggnosis.com/Artist/4996. http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=year&albumId=988&year=1995. https://www.discogs.com/Lorian-Virginal-Mind/release/1336803. Nothing on any of the major streaming sites that I could find, but because this music tends toward the more melodic side of Neo Prog, I've asked the Crossover team to have a listen to the album in the first instance. Edit: Wolfgang Rautland and Andreas Lindt went on to join the band 'Lugaburn', which was formed in Göttingen by Thomas Schoppe (guitar, vocals), with Christian Raschdorf completing the line-up on drums - and they released a CD called 'Crystallized' in September 2014 after Thomas relocated to Messingen-Brümsel in Emsland. The quartet began recording their album in a soundproofed cellar before finishing work on a proper studio in Osnabrück, and their music is characterized by the sounds of the 70s and 80s, but they are probably not quite as proggy as Lorian were. Christian Raschdorf's favourite band is Toto, and he suggests that some of their songs may be compared with the Scottish band Simple Minds. You can read more about Lugaburn here (on page 3 of the publication, which is in German): http://epaper.el-kurier.de/pdf/ausgabe/37176/2015-10-11_ELI_So.pdf. Lugaburn are still active as far as I know, and their music can be freely sampled. On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obxmgpi4svk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HSDeRErWsQ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLdJSukqcJw. Four radio edit samples on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chris0204. And the full album on Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/en/album/8533045. ...or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3KGOQ3eJw9aWdgD9bFtm4z. Facebook (as a source of possible further info regarding the history of Lorian...if approved): https://www.facebook.com/Lugaburn-180943381964879/. Edited by yam yam - July 28 2017 at 23:38