Freedom to Music
Posts tagged Marcela Bovio
Elfonia – Sonic Landscape (2005) (@192)
15 Aug 2010
(Review from seaoftranquility.org)
The power and beauty of Elfonia’s elegant music mostly lies in Alejandro Millan’s keyboard work and the emotive voice of Marcela Bovio. Their sophomore output This Sonic Landscape, however, finds them growing into a more mature band with a heavier focus on songmanship and taking considerable input from their band mates. The drumming of Javier Garagarza is a huge step forward, not to mention the bass and the eloquent guitar work. As a whole, Elfonia has grown and progressed into a more experienced act with a more defined sound and musical approach.
Repeat listens will reveal that the album is very varied in nature. Not just stylistically, but Marcela Bovio has also penned some English lyrics for a couple of songs. The music is very cohesive throughout; but at the same time, the band opts for much-welcome jazz stylings and touches of avant garde. Granted most of the songs vary from slow to mid-tempo pieces, the band will surprise with various shifts of rhythm, mostly rendered through rhythm guitars and drums.
“Desaciertos” is one of these tracks. It has a very slow piano intro but slowly picks up in pace as it borrows some bluesy guitar lines, symphonic elements, and sweeping keyboard arrangements. Huge guitar chords weave themselves into the song delivering fluctuating rhythms for a while, only to be replaced by a sad violin melody played by none other than Marcela Bovio.
From the off-time jazz drums and guitar on “Maquina” to the heavily fusion-inflected “Camaleon”, the songs are coloured with jazz piano and dark guitar riffs. They both feature breakdowns for delicate bass guitar, which is further explored during guitar solos. The arrangement of the bass and the way it is layered over the guitar chords is truly inspiring.
“Letargo” is an instrumental that is built around dark keyboard textures, folky acoustics producing sparse yet effective guitar notes. “Manana” sees them playing a more upbeat cut with classic rock tendencies with a playful solo. The song does end with distinct jazz licks in order to stay true to the general flow of the album though. Pink Floyd similarities could be drawn on “Traveling”, one of the three English-sung tracks featuring a beautiful drum fade-out.
The last three tracks comprise the album’s epic “Gigantes”, a trilogy that breaks the 15-minute mark. A bit different from the individual tracks, this trilogy is punctuated with rich keyboards that build on until the atmospheric apex is reached, where crushing guitars are introduced laying down avante garde sludge-like riffs heavier than a ten-ton hammer. The middle piece, also the longest on the album, simply titled “II”, is Alejandro Millan’s shining moment, not just as a keyboard and concertina expert, but moreso as a songwriter. This track is mostly instrumental save for some very sweet wordless vocal melodies hummed by Marcela towards the end. The song is fed through lush keyboards and vivid drums that become more audible with each beat and speeding the piece up. By the time the song nears its end, we’re experiencing a thick wall of sound with perfect harmony among each instrument. “III” ends with her otherworldly vocals that eventually give way to another forlorn violin piece offering segments of folk music. It is a very beautiful ending to a very beautiful album.
Following the album’s release, the band performed a successful tour in Mexico to promote this new effort, then split in 2006.
Line-up:
- Marcela Bovio / lead vocals, violin
- Alejandro Milan / keyboards, concertina
- Roberto Quintanilla / guitars
- Tpablo Gonzalez / bass
- Javier Garagarza / drums
with
- Arjen Lucassen / guitar solo (6)
Track List:
01. Gigantes IV – 2:21
02. Maquina – 4:02
03. Soundscapes – 5:20
04. Desaciertos – 5:45
05. …De Los Libros Del Tiempo – 5:29
06. Camaleon – 5:22
07. Letargo – 3:22
08. Manana – 5:01
09. Traveling – 3:42
10. Gigantes I – 4:55
11. Gigantes II – 7:03
12. Gigantes III – 4:56
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Elfonia – Elfonia (2003) (@224)
14 Aug 2010
(Review from marcelabovio.com, progarchives.com)
After parting ways with Hydra, Marcela Bovio had a period of over half a year when she wasn’t creating music or performing at all… It was one of the most horrible experiences she’d ever been through. It actually hurt her to go see a live performance because she longed performing so much.
So then she decided to team up with Alejandro Millan and to start a new musical project. They invested literally every single peso they had, recruited other musicians and put this debut album together.
The music is atmospheric, simple progressive, and it has a folksy gothic approach.
The album starts with “Eldalindale”, one of the strongest tracks from the album and setting the mood for the remaining repertoire. Other highlights include “Dentro”, “De Todas Mis Heridas” and “Alma Infinita”. They remain truthful to their style in the whole album.
Line-up:
- Marcela Bovio / vocals, violins
- Alejandro Millan / keyboards, acoustic guitars
- Roberto Quintanilla / electric guitars, baby sitar
with
- Pablo Gonzalez / bass guitar
- Javier Garagarza / drums
- Daniel Ulloa / bass guitar
- Beto Ramos / drums
- Andres Gonzalez / bass guitar
Track List:
01. Eldalindale – 4:48
02. Nuestro Descanso – 4:05
03. Aura – 4:07
04. Drama – 3:44
05. Dentro – 4:16
06. Modos Humanos – 4:25
07. Hatshepsut – 4:54
08. Anoranza – 4:05
09. La Vida Que Emana – 0:59
10. De Todas Mis Heridas – 4:00
11. Alma Infinita – 6:09
12. Bonus Track – 1:38
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Hydra – Bosquejo (EP 1999) (@128)
13 Aug 2010
(Review from marcelabovio.com, streamofpassion.com)
Marcela Bovio’s musical career began, when she and her sister Diana both enrolled in a musical academy, when they were quite young. From that point, she was always surrounded by music and became really interested in singing and performing.
In her teens she started taking violin and classical singing lessons, and became interested in alternative rock, progressive rock and metal. As a fan of melancholic music, she was very inspired by gothic and doom bands. Later on she became interested in jazz, post rock, world music, and began taking jazz harmony lessons.
When she was 17 she started playing coversongs with friends. But she wasn’t the band’s vocalist at that time. She was the band’s bassplayer! Soon, the band heard her voice and wanted Marcela to be singing lead vocals.
Hydra was the first band she was ever part of; the band played together for over 4 years, and this was their only formal release.
The band were for the first time experimenting with different genres, taking risks. The track “lluvia de rosas negras” hit the local radio stations.
Originally out only as a cassette tape, this EP is currently out of print.
Track List:
01. Melos Flagrare – 1:58
02. Vestigios de Guerra – 4:43
03. Bosquejo – 4:16
04. Vade Retro – 4:09
05. Lluvia de Rosas Negras – 4:23
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Stream Of Passion – Flame Within (2009) (@256)
12 Aug 2010
(Review from metalstorm.net)
Main songwriters leaving the band can often result in questionable follow-up albums. You have to admire a band that shoulders the burden of responsibility, without the commander-in-chief calling the shots. With only two original members left from their debut “Embrace The Storm”, Stream Of Passion are most notably without musical mastermind Arjen Lucassen at the helm.
Stream Of Passion oozes enough of their own originality, yet call upon Within Temptation and Evanescence several times, albeit not as operatic or mainstream as those gothic metal heavyweights. Vocalist Marcelo Bovio is without doubt in the cream of the vocal crop. The young Mexican displays a fantastic range, with a soothing and melodious voice, that along with the excellent keyboard work, often carries the song on her own.
“When You Hurt Me The Most” shows Bovio and indeed the whole band at the top of their game, showcasing one of the catchiest choruses on the album. Indeed, along with “In The End” and “Let Me In” to name a few, incredibly well written vocal hooks and catchy choruses are the hallmark of the album.
The album is chock-full of stunning vocal hooks and music that is both haunting and sublime, displaying pop tinged metal tunes with soaring vocals and beautiful keyboards, but without being overtly mainstream in its delivery.
Line-up:
- Marcela Bovio / lead vocals, violin
- Johan van Stratum / bass guitar
- Eric Hazebroek / guitar
- Stephan Schultz / guitar
- Jeffrey Revet / keyboards & synthesizers
- Davy Mickers / Drums
with
- Ben Mathot / violin
- Judith van Driel / violin
- Mark Mulder / viola
- David Faber / cello
Track List:
01. The Art Of Loss – 4:00
02. In The End – 4:03
03. Now Or Never – 4:13
04. When You Hurt Me The Most – 4:47
05. Run Away – 4:18
06. Games We Play – 4:05
07. This Endless Night – 4:19
08. My Leader – 4:55
09. Burn My Pain – 4:19
10. Let Me In – 3:35
11. Street Spirit – 5:23
12. A Part Of You – 4:50
13. All I Know – 2:11
14. Far And Apart – 4:12
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Stream Of Passion – Live in the Real World (2006) (@320)
01 Aug 2010
(Review from blogcritics.org)
Some people thought that the band was suspect as a live band because the first studio release “Embrace The Storm” came together by exchanging files over the internet. This live album finds the band touring out in the real world.
In the set list, their debut album is represented with 7 songs, 10 tracks from various Arjen projects with an Elfonia (Bovio’s band) song and a “When the Levee Breaks” cover as a topping.
Marcela Bovio is magnetic on stage and she has her equally beautiful sister Diana by her side to provide the outstanding backup vocals necessary for all of the tracks the band runs through on the album. Damian Wilson (Threshold, Rick Wakeman) steps up and steers the ship for the Ayreon classics “The Castle Hall” and “Into the Black Hole”. Alejandro Milan creates a wall of sound with his piano and strings, and then adds some surprisingly good vocals in as well. Lori Linstruth has razor sharp guitar lines. She does a nice job answering Arjen’s guitar lines blow for blow and at times leads the way.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitar & vocals
- Marcela Bovio / lead vocals & violin
- Alejandro Millan / piano, strings & vocals
- Lori Linstruth / guitar
- Johan van Stratum / bass guitar
- Davy Mickers / drums
with
- Diana Bovio / back vocals
- Damian Wilson / vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Intro – 1:28
02. Spellbound – 4:16
03. Passion – 5:40
04. Waracle – 6:15
05. Wherever You Are – 5:33
06. Computer Eyes – 6:18
07. Calliopeia – 5:20
08. Valley Of The Queens – 4:17
09. Haunted – 4:58
10. The Charm Of The Seer – 3:11
11. Deceiver / Songs Of The Ocean – 6:10
CD2
01. Day One: Vigil – 2:01
02. Day Three: Pain – 5:56
03. Nostalgia – 3:44
04. Out In The Real World – 6:31
05. The Castle Hall – 6:28
06. Into The Black Hole – 8:31
07. When The Levee Breaks – 6:07
08. Day Eleven: Love – 6:18
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Stream Of Passion – Embrace The Storm (2005) (@256)
29 Jul 2010
(Review from streamofpassion.com, progarchives.com)
Stream of Passion is another one of Arjen Lucassen’s side projects and features musicians from many different countries. The music is build around Mexican female vocalist Marcela Bovio’s beautiful voice. Arjen discovered her and she guested on Ayreon’s “Human Equation” album from 2004.
To form the band, Lucassen used the Internet to tap into the numerous talents that reside all across the globe. A year ago, Dutch drummer Davy Mickers downloaded a special track from Lucassen’s website to enter a musicians contest, and used it to showcase his incredible drumming skills. And just recently Lucassen discovered Lori Linstruth, an amazingly skilled American female guitarist residing in Sweden, among the members of the online Ayreon Yahoo group. Completing the band are Mexican pianist Alejandro Millan and Dutch bass player Johan van Stratum from the Rock Academy in Tilburg.
The band’s creative juices are flowing to and from between computers stationed in all corners of the world – recording, writing and matching up musical ideas to form songs. The end result is as diverse and driven as each individual band member.
Blending mysterious gothic vocals, metal guitars and atmospheric trip-hop, with haunting pianos and live celli- and violin quartets; the band’s “Embrace the Storm” album was released in 2005.
The songs on the album have chugging heavy metal riffs and lots of melodic elements both in the guitar playing and the omnipresent piano motifs but it’s Marcela Bovio’s melodic melody lines and emotional vocal performance that everything evolves around. The music is not as symphonic as the usual projects from Arjen, but there’s still an unmistakable flavour to many of the songs.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, music
- Marcela Bovio / vocals, lyrics, violin
- Johan van Stratum / bass guitar
- Davy Mickers / drums
- Lori Linstruth / lead guitars
- Alejandro Millan / piano
Track List:
01. Spellbound – 3:34
02. Passion – 5:20
03. Deceiver – 5:09
04. I’ll Keep On Dreaming – 3:45
05. Haunted – 4:31
06. Wherever You Are – 5:08
07. Open Your Eyes – 5:14
08. Embrace The Storm – 4:12
09. Breathing Again – 3:38
10. Out In The Real World – 4:32
11. Nostalgia – 3:08
12. Calliopeia – 5:39
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Ayreon – Human Equation (2004) (@256)
25 Jul 2010
(Review from seaoftranquility.org, metal-archives.com, progarchives.com)
With his new Ayreon album, Arjen Lucassen seems to be moving deeper and deeper into the rock opera world. Looking at the lyric sheet here it looks like something written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The guest list on each album is getting longer with the singers on this album being assigned roles to play.
The Human Equation follows the story of a man who falls in a coma after plowing his car into a tree. While in a coma, he unlocks some hidden region of his mind where he confronts his emotions and and memories. Meanwhile, his best friend and wife sit at his hospital bed waiting for a sign of life.
Like most rock operas, the songs work best as a unified whole, but songs like “Day Eleven: Love” and “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly do stand out for the great vocals and melodies. There is one thing that cannot be overlooked and that is the impressive roster of singers and instrumentalists Lucassen has assembled for his latest project: Martin Orford from IQ and Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep make small but invaluable contributions. Hensley’s short but raging Hammond organ solo on “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly takes us back to Hensley’s work with Uriah Heep.
As for the singers, James LaBrie from Dream Theater plays the part of the man in the coma, simply known as Me. If you are used to Labrie’s work with Dream Theater, be prepared to be surprised here. For the most part, his singing is mellow and happily he proves that he has more depth as a singer than he is generally given credit for. Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn is cast as Love and her singing is as impressive and moving here as it is with her own band. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth is given ample opportunity to shine as well; the man has a great voice. Relative newcomer Marcela Bovia also deserves a mention as the wife; judging from her performance with Ayreon, she has a bright future ahead of her.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron, additional keyboards, mandoline, vocals as ‘Best Friend’
- Devon Graves / vocals as ‘Agony’
- Devin Townsend / vocals as ‘Rage’
- Eric Clayton / vocals as ‘Reason’
- Mikael Akerfeldt / vocals as ‘Fear’
- Magnus Ekwall / vocals as ‘Pride’
- Heather Findlay / vocals as ‘Love’
- Irene Jansen / vocals as ‘Passion’
- James LaBrie / vocals as ‘Me’
- Marcela Bovio / vocals as ‘Wife’
- Mike Baker / vocals as ‘Father’
- Ken Hensley / Hammond (16)
- Oliver Wakeman / keyboards (17)
- Martin Orford / keyboards (15)
- Ed Warby / drums
- Joost van den Broek / synthesizer (2), spinet (13)
- John McManus / Low-flute (13,16,18), tin-whistle (18)
- Jeroen Goossens / flute (3,5,9,14,18), alto-flute (2), bass flute (5,14), panpipes (6), descant and treble recorder (13), didgeridoo (16), bassoon (18)
- Robert Baba / violins
- Marieke van der Heyden / cello
Track List:
CD1
01. Day One: Vigil – 1:33
02. Day Two: Isolation – 8:42
03. Day Three: Pain – 4:58
04. Day Four: Mystery – 5:37
05. Day Five: Voices – 7:09
06. Day Six: Childhood – 5:05
07. Day Seven: Hope – 2:47
08. Day Eight: School – 4:22
09. Day Nine: Playground – 2:15
10. Day Ten: Memories – 3:57
11. Day Eleven: Love – 4:18
CD2
12. Day Twelve: Trauma – 8:59
13. Day Thirteen: Sign – 4:47
14. Day Fourteen: Pride – 4:42
15. Day Fifteen: Betrayal – 5:24
16. Day Sixteen: Loser – 4:46
17. Day Seventeen: Accident? – 5:42
18. Day Eighteen: Realization – 4:31
19. Day Nineteen: Disclosure – 4:42
20. Day Twenty: Confrontation – 7:03
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Ayreon – Final Experiment (1995) (@256)
05 Jul 2008
(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com)
In the early 90s, Arjen Lucassen had to visit many record labels to get his music on an album: again and again he was rejected. In the end the new Dutch label Transmission gave him a chance, in 1995 he released his debut album entitled Final Experiment, naming the band Ayreon.
Ayreon’s musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica to form what some call a completely new style of music. The majority of Ayreon’s albums are dubbed “rock operas” because the albums contain complex storylines featuring a host of characters, each represented by a unique vocalist.
Ayreon’s music is characterized by the use of traditional instruments in rock music (guitars, bass guitar, drums, synthesizers, electric organs) mixed with instruments more native to folk and classical music (i.e. mandolins, violins, violas, celli, flutes, sitars and didgeridoo).
The story of this concept albums starts in the year 2084 AD when scientists try to avoid total destruction of the Earth. With a new computer programm called Time Telepathy they succeeded in contacting a blind minstrel from the sixth century called Ayreon. He has to warn people for the impending downfall by singing his vision. He even meets Merlin but the famous magician vows that Ayreon’s word will be spread in the twentieth century. And so the moralistic epilogue says “The outcome of the final experiment has now been placed in your hands”.
The album shows a tight band, scouting the borders between hardrock and symphonic rock. Most of the 15 tracks are strong and varied. Especially the use of many different singers (an Ayreon trademark) adds an extra dimension to the music. Arjen Lucassen delivers many biting soli with hints from Satriani (and also with echoes from his hero Ritchie Blackmore) but there is no overkill. Cleem Determeijer has a remarkable part in the music: sumptuous sounding synthesizers (juno/oberheim/moog), a beautiful flute and harpsichord duet (“Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy”), nice interplay between mellotron and acoustic guitar (“Listen To The Waves”) and piano and mellotron (“Swan Song”) and delicate harmony between different keyboards, flute and biting guitar, like a desperate cry of the future in “Charm Of The Seer”. There is chemistry between the musicians and between the music and lyrics, making “Final Experiment” one of the best Dutch progressive rock debut albums!
This edition also comes with a bonus CD with semi-acoustic versions of many songs from the album. These songs have been re-arranged extensively from the originals, and in many cases the vocalists approach their songs with entirely different techniques. Sometimes female vocalists sing in the place of males. Fans of Marcela Bovio from “Human Equation” album and Lucassen’s side project, “Streams of Passion”, will be pleased to note that she appears on “Waracle”. Irene Jansen, also from “Human Equation”, sings on “Merlin’s Will”. Finally, some progressive fans will recognize Peter Daltrey, the singer who did the spoken-word parts on “Into the Electric Castle”, singing on “Nature’s Dance”.
“Final Experiment” can be a difficult, emotionally-draining listen, with its oppressively brooding atmosphere of tragedy helped along by the synths. The acoustic songs on this bonus CD have a somewhat warmer, brighter atmosphere, and it’s easier to ignore the lyrics if you so choose and just concentrate on the melodies.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals
- Cleem Determeijer (Finch) / on all kinds of keys including mellotron
- Ernst van Ee (Helloise) / drums
- Jolanda Verduijn / bass
- Peter Vink (Finch, Q’65) / bass
- Jan Bijlsma / bass
- Barry Hay / alto flute, vocals
with
- Edward Reekers (Kayak) / vocals
- Lenny Wolf (Kingdom Come) / vocals
- Robert Soeterbroek / vocals
- Jan-Chris De Koeijer / vocals
- Ian Parry (Vengeance) / vocals
- Jan van Feggelen / vocals
- Leon Goewie / vocals
- Ruud Houweling / vocals
- Lucie Hillen / vocals
- Mirjam van Doorn / vocals
- Debby Schreuder / vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Prologue – 3:16
Act I : The Dawning
02. The Awareness – 6:36
03. Eyes Of Time – 5:05
04. The Banishment – 11:08
Act II : King Arthur’s Court
05. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy – 2:45
06. Sail Away To Avalon – 4:02
07. Nature’s Dance – 2:27
Act III : Visual Echoes
08. Computer-Reign (Game Over) – 3:24
09. Waracle – 6:44
10. Listen To The Waves – 4:58
11. Magic Ride – 3:35
Act IV : Merlin’s Will and Ayreon’s Fate
12. Merlin’s Will – 3:20
13. The Charm Of The Seer – 4:11
14. Swan Song – 2:44
15. Ayreon’s Fate – 6:55
CD2 (Semi-acoustic Bonus)
01. Dreamtime – 4:19
02. Eyes Of Time – 3:25
03. The Accusation – 3:49
04. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy – 2:50
05. Sail Away To Avalon – 3:26
06. Nature’s Dance – 2:03
07. Waracle – 5:16
08. Merlin’s Will – 3:29
09. The Charm Of The Seer – 9:01
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