REVIEW: ARJEN LUCASSEN's STAR ONE - "Revel In Time" (2024)

If there’s anyone who knows about bombastic, gloriously over-the-top prog music it is Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon fame. Over the last two decades, this multi-instrumentalist has put out ten concept albums under that moniker, nearly all of which are double albums to boot, all with a host of guest vocalists and musicians. He has also released three previous albums under the name of Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s Star One and is set to release a fourth, ‘Revel In Time’ in mid-February. Previous Star One albums have been loose concept albums with songs based on sci-fi movies, and this new one is no different. This time around the songs are based around movies with time travel or time manipulation, and the result is a fun, rather heavy addition to his ongoing legacy. In addition, each song has its own vocalist, and most have a guest guitar soloist as well.

The album kicks off with “Fate of Man” and Arjen’s signature keyboard sound before an eruption into full prog metal territory. It is immediately obvious that this is going to be a much heavier, and riff-focused affair than his last album Ayreon’s ‘Transitus’ which is a good thing to my ears, as that album was, to put it mildly, a lesser entry to the Ayreon universe. “Fate of Man” however is full-blown prog metal, and is based on the original Terminator. I don’t think anyone needs to be told what the movie is about, so I’ll instead mention vocalist Brittney Slayes and guitar soloist Michael Romeo (Symphony X). The vocals are a higher-ranged power metal style that works quite well with the speed and energy of the song, and Romeo has long been one of the best shredders in the business.

There are a total of 11 songs on the album, so I’ll focus mostly on those that are my favorites, which usually also coincide with the movies I like most, or at least have seen. Jumping ahead then we come to “Back From The Past” which as one can probably guess is based on Back To The Future. The vocalist for this song is Jeff Scott Soto of Sons of Apollo fame, and his deeper vocals fit in perfectly. The guest guitar solo is by his bandmate Ron Bumblefoot Thal and is one of the best on the album.

This is immediately followed by the title track “Revel in Time” which is based around the comedy classic Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, it also happens to be the most recent music video released for the album, which proved to be quite amusing. Obviously, the song follows the attempt to move through history gathering famous figures and passing history class so the world can be saved. It is enthusiastically sung by Brandon Yeagley with a guitar solo by Adrian Vandenberg. It’s a fun song, with a catchy chorus, that will likely get stuck in your head for a while after a few listens.

One of Arjen’s most frequent vocalists on previous Star One albums is the legendary Dan Swanö, so it’s only fitting that he comes in on the heaviest track on the album, the Groundhog Day-inspired“Today is Yesterday.” The heavy riffing begins immediately, and the aggressive drumming with long-term collaborator Ed Warby. Swanö’s low register vocals fit smoothly with the aggressive music, and we’re also treated to a few of his signature growls as well. The movie is rather dark despite being a comedy, and the music reflects that, it’s one of my favorites on the album. It includes both a guest guitar solos and Moog synth solo, with Marcel Singor and Lisa Bella Donna performing them respectfully.

The final song on the album is also the longest, clocking in just short of 10 minutes is “Lost Children of the Universe,” and it is based on Interstellar. I actually still haven’t seen this film, but from the synopsis, the lyrics do a fine job getting the story, and main themes across. Arjen gets the most out of the longer runtime, with a good blend of lighter moments, and heavy sections. Vocalist Roy Khan does a fine job and is frequently joined by what Arjen has dubbed the Hellscore Choir. A rather spacy guitar solo in the middle of the song is provided by Steve Vai, who needs no introduction. The song flies by and doesn’t feel like it’s as long as it is. The end is very lowkey and for that reason is perhaps an odd way to end what is a very heavy, prog forward album, but it in no way affects the overall enjoyment of it.

‘Revel In Time’ is a fun, heavy, prog-filled extravaganza that prog fans should love. Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s Star One has again released another gem of an album, and Arjen remains one of the most creative, and unique musicians in prog. Few have embraced the genre more than he has, and this album will serve as a perfect entry point into his music. Listeners who are already fans will know what to expect and will find plenty to love and to dig their teeth into.

Related Topics

• Arjen Lucassen
• Star One