Star One-Victims of the Modern Age

Last Updated (Friday, 17 December 2010 15:50) Written by Miguel Blardony Thursday, 16 December 2010 03:33

Label: InsideOut Music

Genre: Progressive/Heavy Metal

Rating: 10/10

Comments: Intergalactic space awesomeness. Arjen Lucassen is an alien.

No other genre lives the Star Trek ethos of going where no one has gone before like Metal, with its dips into ultraviloence, arcane religion, fantasy homoeroticism, and the vast cosmic unknown providing endless inspiration for artists and their worshipful audience alike. If your own tastes call for metal devoid of the usual nihilistic dross with a strong emphasis on narrative yarns woven into complex soundscapes—space operas, if you will—then Star One are the band you should be worshipping right now. The brain child of Arjen Anthony Lucassen, a particularly gifted musician whose 30 year career has seen him perform in and write countless albums, Star One is pure sci fi cheese for the appreciative listener.

If this is the first time you've read about Star One, it's good to know they already have a previous album from 2002 ("Space Metal") as proof of their bullet proof excellence. Back then Lucassen gathered his "troops"—Peter Vink, Russel Allen, she-singer Floor Jensen and a gang of backing musicians—for soaring tunes about Star Wars, Blake 7, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stargate, and Dune, to name a few. For this long awaited and almost never fulfilled sequel "Victims of the Modern Age" Lucassen once again harnesses the power of his singing talent for more sci fi movies rendered unto song. Despite the strong presence of keyboards, it's the thick chunky guitar riffs that really drive the songs here. For proof, brace yourself for the testicle shaking epic "Earth That Was' that's the sonic equivalent of ten orgasms in a row during a prolonged bout of great sex.

Forgiving the crude descriptions of musical grandeur in the sentence above, Star One's newest album is a fuckin' masterpiece to behold. Skipping the rather tepid intro "Down the Rabbit Hole," the album gets interesting fast with "Digital Rain" which is a retelling of The Matrix. The opening track is a proggy tune rich in keyboard ambience that's far removed from the usual symphonic gayness that plagues lesser bands. Additionally, "Human See, Human Do," "24 Hours," "Cassandra Complex," and the epic farewell "It All Ends Here" simply reek of perfection. Even better, there's aggressive riffs, melodic charm, and beautiful songwriting in abundance throughout "Victims." Star One may belong to the campy end of the spectrum, but they are never cheesy. Thus, "Victims of the Modern Age" is a perfect album.