DEATH IS JUST A FEELING

On dark days, I may have gloomy thoughts - which I later mostly regret. Never were they as dark and gloomy though as the experiences that led Amadeus Awad to compose, record and release Death is Just a Feeling. Inspired, if that is the right word here, by the loss of loved ones, and a failed suicide attempt, this album is a new addition to the list of cinematic concept albums. Albums that require one to sit down and listen, and to feel. Think of well known titles like Pink Floyd's The Wall, or The Human Equation by Ayreon, where that applies as well.

Each track on this album fills a piece of a puzzle, that, once complete leads to the realisation, waking up after a failed suicide attempt, that

"...what I killed last night wasn't my flesh, but my connection to the surreal skies I roamed in since the creation of the universe. I was already dead when you touched my face, death is just a feeling."

The album consists of 6 tracks only, and it lasts just over 45 minutes, but it appears longer when listening. The story is carried by voices as well as music. Narratives by Dan Harper, with a low, hypnotic voice, are interleaved with angelic, and sometimes anxious vocals by Anneke van Gierbergen,the dramatic voice of Elia Monsef and the careful, almost shy sounds of Arjan Lucassen on the closing track. These voices are surrounded by music that is an eclectic mix of metal and heavy symphonic rock that is carrying the different moods of despair, grief and wonder. The acoustic opening track, with Anneke singing as an angel is one end of the musical spectrum, while the central piece of the album, Lonesome Clown takes us through metal, heavy rock and wailing keyboard music. This track is a 12 minute musical masterpiece, that would easily have fit on any Ayreon album. Actually, the presence of both Arjan 'Ayreon' Lucassen and Anneke van Giersbergen makes one wonder sometimes if this is an Ayreon album, but the music still different from what Arjan Lucassen has done. Highlights of the album for me, besides Lonesome Clown, are the emotion filled guitar solos on Tomorrow Lies (which also include a great use of cello) and Temporary, and the way Monday Morning musically expresses the feeling of remembering a final goodbye. A final goodbye from a love one, who gets killed in an explosion shortly after.

The sound and production of the album are very full, because of the continuous presence of synths and keyboards in the back. That makes it somewhat loud, but never in a disturbing way - and even the clarinet on Temporary is able to come out front and center.

Despite it's dark nature, this is amongst the best albums released this year (I skipped over a few planned reviews to write this one today). Highly recommended, certainly for those who like musical adventures akin to what the people involved in making this album normally deliver. It's a work of art, and I could easily see someone making a short, very dark movie to this album, to complete the package.

Originally published on my blog, www.angelosrockorphanage.com

Worth investing

I can't blame my colleague Angelo for getting excited about this release from Amadeus Awad, who has progressively (sic) moved into more progressive patterns since his early releases. What seemed to be a turn in his compositional mood in the EP "Schizanimus" seems to have fully materialised in "Death is Just a Feeling".

Securing a host of extremely talented musicians has clearly paid off in this release but don't get fooled by this alone; the compositions in this album show maturity and attention to detail. We will never know if the highlight tracks "Sleep Paralysis" and "Lonesome Clown" could have ever sounded any better without the haunting voice of Anneke van Giersbergen (any fan of The Gathering can admit bias, me being among the first). Beautiful, uplifting melodies, nicely filtered influences (with sounds resembling from Phideaux to Ayreon) and a rather dark atmosphere that always helps. "Death is Just a Feeling" successfully mixes mellow tunes of crossover prog with dynamic progressive metal passages of lush keyboards, while excellent acoustic guitar catches the attention throughout.

Lyrics are cohesive, simple but not simplistic and portray the feeling that Amadeus seems to have wanted to give (author's perception). The overall "concept" surrounding the album is supported by inspired, minimalistic artwork and the whole package is professional beyond doubt. The two bonus tracks (from "Schizanimus" and "Time of the Equinox") are nice add-ons but don't necessarily fit with the mood of the album.

"Death is Just a Feeling" does not break new ground in progressive rock (which would be the next step for AA in the author's view) but it seems like a lot of effort and emotion has gone into this piece of art, rendering it among the highlights for 2015. Promising, worth investing and let's keep an eye on future releases.