DISTORTED MEMORIES

This 2010 album by the Dutch Life Line Project is a symphonic rock album of the virtuoso kind. Dazzling electric violin parts, biting electric guitar solo's and incredible keyboard wizardry are the main instrumental ingredients on this mainly instrumental album. To counterpart these often high speed virtuosities, there is a beautiful woodwind section, consisting of a clear flute, played by Elsa de Beer and an incredible warm sounding oboe, played by Dineke Visser.

Most of the compositions are supplied by keyboard-player Erik de Beer, while lead guitarist Jason Eekhout may be held responsible for two compositions.

After a short but frantic jazz-rock introduction by Jason Eekhout, we are served the title piece "Distorted Memories", a weird and almost surrealistic version of a nagging children's song. This children's song, only once interrupted by a bucolic scene played by the winds and the acoustic violin, is almost brought to hysteria, before it evolves into a beautiful symphonic theme, carried by the keyboards. Josine Fraaij comes closely to resembling the great Eddie Jobson, with a pulsating baroque like electric violin solo. The following "Life Line Suite" is a beautiful symphonic rock suite, showing all series of beautiful melodies on all instruments.

Frozen Heart is a symphonic rock ballad with a very beautiful role for the flute and an almost Tony Banks like synth.solo, but the vocals of Maruschka Kartosonto aren't the strongest part of the song. I prefer the vocals of previous LLP singer Marion Stroetinga, who fits in with the music in a better way (meanwhile Marion has rejoined the project again).

Eekhout composition "Caelum Aurum" is almost Mahavishnu-like and show once more the incredible talents of both violinist Josine Fraaij and lead-guitarist Jason Eekhout. "Interlude" is an oasis of rest with beautiful keyboard sounds over the Spanish guitar, played by Jody van der Gijze.

"Reaper Of The Keys" is a terrific and incredible Moog & Hammond based song played over a throbbing rhythm section by bass player Iris Sagan & drummer Ludo de Murlanos, which will make most ELP-fans drool!

"P.C. Left Is Right" starts with a mysterious and ominous sounding theme on the oboe, before it evolves in a solid rock song, well-sung this time and with great harmony vocals, a fantastic Moog- solo and an amazing electric guitar solo in the fade out.

"The Final Word" is the main attraction and gives us over 13 minutes of beautiful and dramatic symphonic rock. This time the vocals are very well-sung and this is probably the composition that will please symphonic rock lovers the most.

The album ends in merriment with a stunning instrumental version of the Dutch folksong "Hop Marjanneke". Distorted Memories is an album, that is great fun listening to and it's highly recommendable.