This mini-CD, made by the Dutch formation is a taste of the full CD
“The Union” which is about to be released this summer. Joop Wolters, Marc Van Mierlo and Barend Tromp laid the basis of the band
in 1989. This instrumental trio
recorded their first demo in 1992 : “Pistache Express”.
After this recording, the style evolved into harder and more “song”
orientated music and in 1994, under the leadership of Oscar Holleman, a new
demo “Paragraph” was recorded, soon followed by their first full CD
“Beyond the veil” after which the touring (with Kingdom Come a.o.) could
start. Just after this, the band decided tot add vocals to the, meanwhile solid
basis of their oeuvre. Arabesque
achieved to get into the finals of the Dutch Metal Bash competition in 1998.
That same year, bassist Barend Tromp decided to leave the band and was
replaced by Frank. On the 1998
demo “Naked” we can also hear keyboard sounds.
In order to continue their quest for an original sound, the 2 female
vocalists could stay on. In addition to that, the grunt increases the power
regularly. The rather complex
compositions show that the band has a long instrumental history. The first two tracks are recent, the two other ones feature on previous
CD’s. Can we notice an
evolution in the band’s music ? Beyond
question !! “Inner voice” is a combination of catchy vocals from both ladies,
solid riff’s and the grunting voice. The
track is the most accessible one. After a modest piano intro, “Last attempt” bursts out in a range of
changes in tempo and the vocals work as cement between bricks.
Let’s remember the double bass and the beautiful guitar solo in the
first place. “Haunted” even contains a rap-section, but “Instant daydream” is
something quite different. The
way they play is real teamwork and this track proves it. I think each and every prog-fan will love it.
The band treats us with 8 minutes of sparkling guitars, breaks and
keyboards, and, at the right
moment, a skilful, sometimes jazzy-influenced guitar solo. Meanwhile, Arabesque is a well wanted guest on festivals such as Bospop
and the Progpower Festival in Baarlo. I
was there in 2000 so I could watch their performance, together with a.o. Opeth
and After Forever. Their music style sounds more like these last two bands: a mix of metal
and prog-rock with a personal touch: the sound of 2 energetic female
vocalists. Review by: Vera 'Gothica' Translation by: Walter 'HaHa' Haentjens |
