ARMENIA

Real drums! No triggered samples, no electronic sounds, that's one of the first things that catches the ear when listening to Life Line Project's Ninth. It put me right back to the time of the great Keith Moon (my all time favourite drummer) and his almost uncontrolled but brilliant drumming. I don't know if it will please everyone, because it shows all irregularities of the sounds of acoustic drums in a time in which digital polishing and smoothing of sounds seems to be demanded by listeners. Great part of the music on Armenia however puts you right back in the seventies with huge analogue synth parts and roaring Hammonds, vintage guitars & all sorts of acoustic instruments, not in the least the distinctive woodwind section, consisting of flute, oboe & clarinet. The first song, "New Flight" is dedicated to the memory of Jon Lord and shows us a Marshall distorted roaring Hammond. I liked a lot the part in which Maron Brinkman sings the blues only accompanied by a hi-hat and some lower Hammond outbursts. "Another Deadline" shows us an unchained Ludo de Murlanos on drums, infallibly following all riffs and lead on both guitars and keyboards, all played by Erik de Beer. The only weak spot on the album, in my ears, is the short track "Injustice", which has more of an eighties feel, although I liked the Moog part in the middle. "Dans Le Ciel" with French lyrics was composed in 1975 and indeed it puts you right back to the glory days of progressive rock. Main title on the album is of course the 4 part suite ARMENIA, dealing with the terrible massacre the Armenians had to suffer during and short after World War One by the hands of the Turks. A genocide up to now never officially recognized, but which cost the lives of over one and a half million people. The music is great. An important role is filled by the grand piano, which both opens and closes the suite with a theme, that returns throughout the complete suite. The mood of the piece is often very oppressing and depressive. The March to Deir Ez Zor sounds cold and heartless with a stone cold mellotron and guitars, that seem to cry and just when despair grabs you, a mild and hope evoking gentle theme on piano and Moog brings relief. The third part, fully acoustic with only oboe, piano and a sensitive singing Marion, expresses the hope, that one day all will be better again, one of the most beautiful parts on the album, right before the exuberant finale Jerevan an almost Triumvirat-like finale with jubilant singing Moog leads over a super solid rhythm section. This album, which is a tribute to one of those horrible events, history tries to deny and forget, is probably Life Line Project's best album. The music sounds mature, the playing is great and Marion is at her best. If you don't mind a sound, that is so close to the seventies, you should try out this one! Whistler.