FATE OF A DREAMER

Don't expect metal, growl or drum riffs. Don't expect guitar solos and space-rock athmospheres. This is not an Ayreon work. If Mr Lucassen decided to give this project a different name there's a reason: this is different from all the other Lucassen's works. It's still recognisable as Lucassen's music, but the most remarkable thing is Astrid Van Der Veen. She was a teen. Somebody says 16teen, somebody else 14teen, but very young in any case. Nothing that can be guessed just listening to her incredible voice. She's somewhere between Heather Findlay (not so good, but she's young) and Eliza Gylkinson (not so new-age). The songs are relaxing, even when the percussions are in evidence. I suggest looking to the first solo work from Astrid (the second is unlistenable). That could have been a follow-up of Ambeon and demonstrates that she has probably taken part in composing and arranging, even if some Ayreon material appears here and there. 3 stars. Not for ayreonauts.