Arjen Lucassen's Supersonic Revolution's 'Golden Age of Music' - Album Review

Considering how many progressive and power metal albums and concerts I have covered on this blog over the years, one name that has rarely been mentioned here is Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Considering how prolific Lucassen has been with his various projects over the years, and how much I generally like his output, I am quite surprised that I have never really written about him or his work here. Whilst I am certainly not familiar with everything he has ever done, I have heard most of the Ayreon and Star One albums as well as a handful of some of his other more one-off projects. I think that the main reason for not covering him before is the fact that the majority of his albums tend to be mammoth undertakings which I just cannot dedicate a lot of time to listening to. I have enjoyed all of the Ayreon albums that I have heard, but they all tend to be sprawling, lengthy, complex concept albums - and they are just not albums that I tend to listen to that often, despite enjoying them and the majority of musicians and singers which collaborate with Lucassen on them. This extends to Star One, too, and I have always found Star One generally to be pretty similar to Ayreon - despite Star One typically being on the heavier side and Ayreon straddling the line between prog rock and prog metal more finely. Over the years, too, I have also enjoyed Guilt Machine's sole album On This Perfect Day from 2009, which was more of an overt and atmospheric progressive rock release, and the folky and more organic The Diary by The Gentle Storm from 2015. I am also quite a big fan of the gothic/prog metal act Stream of Passion, which Lucassen helped form in 2005 and whom later grew into a fully-fledged band without his involvement. As such then, despite the lack of coverage here, I am a pretty big fan of Lucassen and his work - so writing about an album of his does somewhat feel long overdue. It is perhaps fitting, then, that I have chosen his latest project as my first review of his work - and, in my opinion, this latest offering does do something a bit different from anything he has done before. Lucassen's new band, Supersonic Revolution, is a five-piece in the classic rock style - and that is exactly the type of music which they play. Lucassen's prog leanings do not really appear here at all, and Golden Age of Music, Supersonic Revolution's debut album, clearly plays tribute to a number of Lucassen's classic rock influences from the 1970s. Deep Purple and Uriah Heep seem to be the main touchstones here, but there is also influence taken from 1970s glam rock bands like Slade and Sweet. A good comparison to make is actually to the newer retro rockers Cats in Space - albeit heavier and much more Deep Purple-influenced. Supersonic Revolution retain Lucassen's signature crunch and approach to melody, but play no-nonsense hard rock with big melodies, plenty of Hammond organ, and some excellent lead guitar work. Despite writing most of the songs as usual, Lucassen has contented himself with bass duties here, and he has been joined by frontman John Cuijpers (Praying Mantis), guitarist Timo Somers (Vengeance; Delain; Carthagods), keyboard player Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged; After Forever), and drummer Koen Herfst (I Chaos; HDK; Vandenberg) - all of whom have collaborated with Lucassen in the past.

Despite this classic rock approach taken, I still think Golden Age of Music sounds like a Lucassen album. He just has an approach to songwriting that stands out a mile off, but he has toned down the prog here to go for an all-out hard rock sound. Before really kicking off, though, the album gets underway with the short keyboard-led instrumental SR Prelude. The organ work from van den Broek here builds, in the neo-classical style, towards the album's first proper song - and it signals how important the keyboards are going to be to what follows. van den Broek really shines throughout this album, and the instrumental intro showcases him nicely - before The Glamattack crashes in and the album gets underway proper. The hard-hitting Deep Purple-esque sound of the album is established from the off, but the song definitely feels more modern despite the influences on display. There is still a strong metal attitude present throughout the song (and, indeed, much of the album), largely thanks to Herfst's powerful drumming and the grit in Cuijpers' voice, but there is enough of a retro edge to allow the influences to shine. Somers' approach to his guitar playing here is generally a bit more modern, too, with pinch harmonics and shredded licks often eschewing a more bluesy approach - but the Hammond organ roots everything in the past. This mix of sounds works well, though, and it gives the album a unique feel - and The Glamattack is a perfect representation of the band's ethos. The opening riff is hard-driving, with a strong organ backing, whilst the verses are a bit more melodic to allow Cuijpers to shine. Praying Mantis fans will already be aware of his excellent voice, but he pushes himself more here - and the difference between the more melodic verses and the more metallic chorus showcases his range. The chorus is very catchy despite its fast pace and serious attitude, and it shows how well Lucassen has leaned into his influences here and still managed to showcase a bit of his core sound. It is not all about the vocals, though, and a blistering instrumental sections sees Somers and van den Broek trading solos and licks back-and-forth in a manner reminiscent of a modern Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord. There is a quieter moment later on, which sees Cuijpers singing against a more atmospheric keyboard backing - but generally the song steams along, and it kicks off the album in fine fashion. The title track follows, and it continues on the core sound of the opening number perfectly - although it is slower and focuses a bit more on groove. It opens in busy fashion, with some explosive lead guitar playing, before a crunchy verse kicks in - driven by some groovy bass playing and plenty of Hammond swells. The song is less frantic, but it still feels pretty crunchy throughout - with Somers' more modern guitar grooves perfectly clashing with retro keyboards and the funk of the rhythm section. Cuijpers is more overtly melodic throughout, particularly during the story-telling verses, whilst the chorus hits a little harder with plenty of strong vocal harmonies and a lushness thanks to the keyboard backing. Guitar and keyboard lead passages are never too far away, either, and the song is packed with plenty of hooks as a result - and perfectly balances accessibility with a busy instrumental approach, like so many of the best bands of the 1970s.

The Rise of the Starman appears to rein in the heavier side of the band somewhat, as it builds from a keyboard intro which Somers soon solos over in a rather whimsical manner. It feels as if it is about to take a different path from the opening couple of numbers, but soon another big riff crashes in and the song morphs into another mid-paced hard rocker - although it feels more atmospheric and expansive overall. Whilst Lucassen generally has not mined his usual prog seams here, he does showcase his prog side a little occasionally - generally in scope and arrangement more than anything else. This is a song that benefits from his prog experience - as it is very busy instrumentally, and there is a lot of time dedicated to guitar and keyboard solos. They all add to the overall experience, though, and the keyboard depth throughout helps the song to feel huge - and this larger scope helps to mitigate against the guitars being a bit less crunchy overall here. This is very much a song which showcases van den Broek's organ playing, particularly as much of his time is dedicated to leads and melodies - not just swells of growling sound. This approach works well, though, even whilst Cuijpers is singing, and it helps the song to feel a little grander overall. Burn It Down returns to something much crunchier, though, and if any song here channels Deep Purple then it is this one. There are definite lyrical references to Smoke on the Water at times here, and the main keyboard riff reminds me a little of Might Just Take Your Life. Despite this, though, the song does not just sound like a poor pastiche of Deep Purple, but instead it feels like a celebration of that brand of 1970s hard rock - and the grit-filled voice of Cuijpers really adds character to the strutting, mid-paced number. He brings the song to life, particularly during the snaking chorus, whilst some more back-and-forth between Somers and van den Broek add further flourish during an instrumental section which channels both bluesy and neo-classical vibes. Despite the influences being rather blatant here, the song is executed really well - and it perfectly showcases what Lucassen was trying to achieve with this latest project. Odyssey is another piece that showcase a bit more of prog feel, and it is probably the most expansive and atmospheric here. Opening with clean guitar melodies and some spacey leads, the song builds from this slow intro - adding Hammond organ pulses as Cuijpers starts to sing. This vibe continues on for a while, with the atmosphere building slowly over the song's first couple of minutes behind Cuijpers - but soon things pick up the pace somewhat, and Somers launches into another fairly lumbering riff, complete with pinch harmonics, and the song becomes more metallic. Sparking synth leads and some off-kilter drumming take the song in a different direction briefly, but once Cuijpers starts to sing again the more expansive feeling returns - albeit with a heavier backing. The crunch helps to enhance the melodies overall, though, and the song's build feels natural despite the shift to something heavier. The vocal hooks might not be as memorable here, but Cuijpers instead sings in a manner more befitting of the song's journey - although the occasional big hook does add a sheen when needed, if the many guitar and keyboard excursions did not already do so.

They Took Us By Storm returns to something more typical of the album's core sound, and opens with some of the most overt and in-your-face Hammond organ playing here. van den Broek is given free rein during the intro, where he lays down some retro swells and roars, before the rest of the band crash in and Somers leads the charge with a riff that is packed full of groove. This is another song which perfectly mixes Somers' more modern riffing style with the retro songwriting of Lucassen, and the mid-paced bounce which is created throughout is very easy to latch onto as a result. Much of the best classic rock features strong grooves, and They Took Us By Storm is no different. Things are toned down somewhat for the verses, but they maintain the same overall rhythm, whereas the chorus is much punchier - with the Hammond of the intro returning as Cuijpers' voice is backed by walls of harmonies. A lengthy organ solo ensures that van den Broek's dominance is retained, and it brings everything together nicely. Golden Boy does tone things down somewhat, opening with a shuffling groove and some distant keyboards - whilst Cuijpers sings against this muted, but busy, backing in a more melodic manner whilst Somers grinds away on his guitar. Occasional volume swells tease a more hard rock approach, but the song tends to remain more low key despite a punchier chorus. The organ stabs keep it grounded, though, and Somers does not let rip as much here. There is still plenty of rock here, but the heaviness is not as overt - with Lucassen's prog side on show again as far as the arrangement goes. The pulsing, shuffling groove is welcome, though, and the song helps to provide a bit of a change of pace. This change of pace is maintained with Holy Holy Ground, the album's sole ballad which tones things down further and goes more an atmospheric approach that features lots of emotional guitar playing from Somers. The pulsing intro is dominated by a lengthy guitar solo, and when Cuijpers takes over vocally he continues on the atmospheric approach established. He showcases a more melodic side of his voice here, with much of the earlier grit left behind to suit the song's slower burn and the more emotional approach. The rhythm section shuffle away, yet still pack a decent punch, whilst all the depth is added by the keyboards. The verses brim with washes of organ, whilst a lengthy keyboard solo builds on many of the vocal melodies throughout. This then transitions into a screaming guitar solo, which is still packed full of emotion despite the somewhat busier approach and more cutting tone. There is a lot to like about the song, and as the album's only ballad it helps to add something different overall. Despite the influences on display here, there is still fair amount of variety, and Holy Holy Ground showcases this with its more delicate melodies and bluesier approach to guitar leads.

Fight of the Century returns to something more typical of the album, but the song is not as furious as some of the harder tracks here - instead going for a more groove-based mid-paced approach. The rhythm section once again do their bit, creating strong grooves with off-kilter drum patterns, whilst the organ again is the MVP - providing many countermelodies throughout the verses and filling the chorus with its more aggressive overall sound. In my opinion, though, the album has other songs which do this style better. There is a lot to like here, though, and the instrumental section may well be the album's best. It builds from a busy organ solo, and then explodes into Somers' most shred-happy guitar solo here - backed by some really fast double bass drumming out of nowhere. The vocal hooks are not as strong here as they are in many of the other songs, though, which means that the track does not feel as hooky overall as many of the album's best cuts. It is still a great representation of the band's core sound, though, and makes up for its lack of interesting vocal hooks with the excellent aforementioned instrumental break. The album then comes to a close with Came to Mock, Stayed to Rock, which opens with a strange acoustic guitar ditty - which is soon backed by some whimsical keyboards. The opening section of the song builds on this acoustic intro, and presents something very different and almost bluegrass-esque in tone, but the bulk of the song is more typical of the album's core sound - and it soon explodes into another relatively fast-paced piece with choppy guitar riffing, staccato keyboard stabs, and an overall vibe which feels rather jaunty and upbeat. Cuijpers' vocals hooks are appropriately snappy, nicely fitting around the pulsing grooves in true glam rock fashion, with the fast-paced chorus in particular sticking in the brain. The busy arrangement makes the most of the band's instrumental talents, too, and there is quite a lot of soloing here - including another fairly lengthy back-and-forth between Somers and van den Broek which nicely showcases the pair's chemistry. It brings the album to a busy and dynamic close, then, and once again showcases Lucassen's love of retro rock. Overall, then, Golden Age of Music is a really fun album which has allowed Lucassen to do something a bit different and pay tribute to many of his rock influences from the 1970s. His prog side does shine through sometimes, but generally this is a more up-tempo and harder rocking album - with a big focus on melodies and furious instrumental trade-offs. Given Lucassen's track record with projects not named Ayreon or Star One, I would not be surprised if this release turned out to be a one-off - but if Lucassen ever feels like he wants to write more songs in this style I would happily listen to Supersonic Revolution's second album.

The album was released on 19th May 2023 via Music Theories Recordings. Below is the band's promotional video for Golden Age of Music.