THE JOURNEY

As a Hammond freak I was immediately struck when I discovered on YouTube the fantastic Life Line Project song "Turn The Key" in which both some incredible Hammond and Moog playing could be heard. I wanted to have more of that and I ordered the album right away, but when I listened to the complete album I was at first disappointed a bit, because there wasn't as much Hammond on it as I had hoped. Then I started to listen more carefully to this well filled double disc and I discovered a beautiful world of great symphonic rock.

The first disc is entirely filled with the symphonic rock epic "Journey To The Heart Of Your Mind" a beautiful composition telling the search of someone for his true self. The music is played by a large band, consisting not only of keyboards/guitar/bass & drums, but also of a woodwind section with a flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.

A large number of singers is employed to tell the story. Not all of them are equally good, but I liked the exuberant and seductive Liset Dullaart in the role of Miss Fortune rightaway and of course I was impressed by the beautiful and gentle voice of lead singer Marion Brinkman-Stroetinga.

The second disc is containing shorter compositions, but it certainly equals the first one in strength, with naturally the already mentioned "Turn The Key" (longer than on the YouTube version) and the brilliant almost 12 minutes taking "Narrow Path". Like their fellow countrymen of Focus, the musicians of Life Line Project have some strong inclinations towards jazz (like in "Collage '11" and "the light-footed "Monkey Business"), although the heart of their music is constructed of fully- fledged, well-arranged elaborate symphonic rock.

Of course most of my attention was drawn to the keyboard playing and I have to admit that Erik de Beer is one of the most complete keyboard players of this moment. I like the way he wields his Hammond (check out the little Lord/Blackmore like interlude on organ and lead guitar in "Fight The World"), although he lacks the aggressiveness that is so characteristic for Keith Emerson (and which I love so much) and the deepness of sound that is so characteristic of Don Airey (and which I also love so much), but he is a true virtuoso on the instrument and the same goes for his piano playing and certainly for his Moog playing (at some spots I am certain to hear the sound of a Prophet, but it's not mentioned in the booklet). His harpsichord playing is practically authentic baroque.

The overall recording quality of the album is quite good, although the more heavy sounding parts sound a bit too thin, whereas the acoustic and woodwind dominated parts are recorded superbly. It appears that their album was recorded by a monkey ??

It's by coincidence that I bought and discovered this album (thanks to the YouTube clip), but after all I am glad to own this album and it's advisable to anyone who likes his symphonic rock warm and harmonious.