The Gentle Storm - "The Diary"

The Gentle Storm - The Diary
2015, Inside Out

1. Endless Sea
2. Heart of Amsterdam
3. The Greatest Love
4. Shores of India
5. Cape of Storms
6. The Storm
7. The Moment
8. Eyes of Michiel
9. Brightest Light
10. New Horizons
11. Epilogue: The Final Entry

The Gentle Storm is the latest project from Ayreon mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen. He teamed up with Anneke Van Giersbergen to create a folk/metal album. She sings all of the tracks. This is a good thing. I've always loved her voice all the way back from the Electric Castle days. She does not disappoint here. The music is a cool mix of folk-type stuff and metal. That is, if you're listening to the "Storm" version. This album has two discs with two versions, a "Storm" and a "Gentle." I've listened to both but I prefer the Storm version. There's nothing really wrong with the Gentle version but it seems like I can hear the holes where the heavy parts should be. The music is a lot more focused than Arjen usually does. It's a great disc and I love the songs and the melodies, but it doesn't blow me away. Arjen's usual musical tropes are in full effect. Some parts almost have a Stream of Passion vibe. If you're looking for something really different you'll be disappointed, but it's a solid album and a good listen if you're a fan of Arjen and Anneke like I am.

Useless Fact: One of the special editions for this album is an LP sized art book edition with four CDs! It was a little pricey, so I declined. But it was really, really hard.