INTO THE ELECTRIC CASTLE

This is the third of ARJEN LUCASSEN's trilogy. As was the case with the previous two, this album is very "Knights of the Round Table" like, with its evocative images of sorcerers, spooky castles and gothic visions, plus a little time travel. As is the case with all of LUCASSEN's projects, the production here is impeccable and the two-CD set contains some ambitious pieces with interesting vocals by various artists who, like actors in a play, each have a specific role. I won't go into any further details, as fellow reviewer Daumco and others have already done a wonderful job of it. However, I'd like to add that I've never heard a more bombastic, scary, 'sh...t-in-your-pants' intro as the one you'll hear when you slip the first CD into your player. I'm talking about the first track, "Welcome to the New Dimension". It gives you the same thrill as standing a few feet away from a dragster taking off. The shere power of the sound is frightening and the final four chords, especially, are enough to permanently damage the woofers of your speakers (or headphones). Now, you can't say I haven't warned you... :-)