ARMENIA

The latest LIFE LINE PROJECT album is dealing with a very dramatic event, the mass killing of more than one million Armenians, almost hundred years ago in Turkey, during World War I. No surprise, that the music in the four part suite "Armenia", that concludes the album, sounds dramatic and desperate at some spots. Dramatic climax of the suite is part two "The March to Deir-Ez-Zor", a march during which so many perish and at the end of which the Armenians are exterminated like animals. The march, played with several snare drums and with very dissonant mellotron chords sounds chilling. Marion Brinkman is singing this one so great and makes you feel the tragedy and disaster. Still, there are so many beautiful and fantastic symphonic themes to enjoy, especially because feelings of hope and faith, that things may get better, are expressed in the music as well. The last part, describing the resurrection "Jerevan" gives us a jubilant Moog lead, which makes the heart of a true ELP-fan (like I am) go faster.

The album starts with 8 shorter compositions, all full of solid symphonic progressive themes. "Dans Le Ciel" (written in 1975) and "Let Your Outside Show Me" are two of my favourites. "Another Deadline" shows us the more virtuoso side of LLP with an unleashed Ludo de Murlanos on drums and some great guitar solos and some incredible Hammond & Moog solos by Erik de Beer. As always with LLP the woodwinds (flute, oboe & clarinet) are a welcome embellishment of the band sound!

PP (Patty)