ARABESQUE

— First review of this album —

Arabesque is a progressive metal band from Holland formed around Joop Wolters, a great guitarist who is the heart of this band and one of the main composers. The band released only 2 albums and then diseppeared into oblivion, Joop begun a solo career and colaborations with other bands from prog metal zone and the othe rmusicians I really don't know exactly in what way they took after disbanding Arabesque in late 2003. This is theier second offer from 2002 named The union issued at already famous label Lion Music (the owner being no one else then Lars Eric Mattson). So what we have here is a great prog metal album whwere are presented dual dual lead vocalists, both femal singer and very good Katja Salemi and Nicole de Seriere du Bizournet. The music is quite complicated in many parts, rich arrangements, twisted moves, breaks and very solid musicianship on every tune. The instrumental passages are heavy progressive, melodic and very well executed with plenty of excellent interludes between musicians, in places remind me of Dream Theater but they are not a copy for sure. Powerful and inventiv moments are on almost every tune, the most great ones are to me, the opening track Freaking,Captured, the grovvy and super instrumental Instant Daydream and the beautiful heal me, all of those pieces shows a mature work where beseides instrumental passges, the dual lead singer are excellent, really strong powerful female voices I can ever hear on a prog metal album, very complex chord changes , but both handle very good . Rene Ubachs the keybordist has some intristing parts, from more slow ones to a more elaboretaed and full of intelligent manuvres, simply combined with the guitar and the rest is briliant, the high point is on the instrumental Instant daydream. In the end a recommended progressive metal album for anyone intrested in this kind of music, is a powerfull , passionate release full of excellent moments, kinda underrated in many places I saw this album, who needs a far more wider and better view.3.5 stars, not a masterpiece that for sure, but well done, produce and performed prog metal album. I really like it.