DISTORTED MEMORIES

A great effort for a low budget project from Holland. Completely independent and without fund raising the Dutch Life Line Project have once more succeeded a beautiful and rich orchestrated symphonic rock album with their 2010 production "Distorted Memories". A stunning electric violin, played by Josine Fraaij, a bit like U.K. in the title track and a bit more reminiscent of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in "Caelum Aurum", two guitarists alternating in acoustic and electric leads and sometimes joining forces in twin soloing, a throbbing rhythm section consisting of bass and drums and not to forget a beautiful woodwind section, consisting of flute and oboe, no samples this time, but the real stuff, well-skilled musicians, putting their heart in their playing. Listen to the splendid oboe part in the intro of "Left Is Right" or enjoy the bucolic flute playing in "Acoustic Spring". All music is centred around the beautiful, mostly analogue keyboards of Erik de Beer. Some great Moog and Hammond playing can be enjoyed in "Reaper of the Keys", my personal favourite on the album. This time the vocals are taken care of by Maruschka Kartosonto, who has a nice voice, perhaps a bit too thin for the more solid symphonic rock themes, but convincing in the more folk like parts. "The Final Word" is the main attraction of the album, a beautiful symphonic rock composition with room for all musicians and with well-sung vocals. The sound quality in the more heavy parts could have done with a bit more punch, but I think that this is more a budgetary problem. In this time of illegal copying and downloading, I am afraid budgets will only get smaller. The more keyboard dominated parts and the more acoustic parts (with more exotic instruments like lute, mandolin and chitarrone) are all perfectly recorded. The album ends with a very pleasant and sparkling version of a Dutch folk song. A beautiful album which aims to please the listener with well-balanced melodic symphonic rock. Oscillator11.