STAR ONE Revel In Time | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

Released by Inside Out Music on February 18th, 2022

Quick Background

Star One (also referred to as Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One) is a Dutch progressive metal supergroup/side-project of Arjen Anthony Lucassen of Ayreon. Prior to 2022, the band had released two albums: their first in 2002, their second in 2010, plus a live album in 2003, and features four different singers: Russell Allen (Symphony X), Damian Wilson (ex-Threshold, Headspace), Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity), and Floor Jansen (Nightwish). Unlike Ayreon, albums do not follow one storyline; instead, each song is a different story with a sci-fi concept, most of the tracks based on existing movies and series. The music of Star One is usually heavier than that of Ayreon. Lucassen explained that the songwriting was different in that Star One songs are built on guitar riffs whereas Ayreon songs stem primarily off chord arrangements. 

Revel In Time

After twelve years, Revel In Time is finally out as the third Star One album and it is a direct reaction to 2020's Ayreon Transitus. That album was almost a musical and written to be a film. Revel In Time is heavy and guitar riff driven. Another noticeable and important difference, instead of having singers for the whole album trading vocal lines, each track has its own separate singer (with exception of "Prescient" with two, Michael Mills and Ross Jennings (Haken)). In addition to the same quartet of four guest vocalists (Damian Wilson, Dan Swanö, Floor Jansen and Russel Allen), Revel in Time features Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot), Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner among others. The eleven tracks are inspired by science fiction movies or TV series, only this time they focus on movies involving time manipulation, such as time loops and time travel. (e.g. The Terminator, Back to the Future,  Groundhog Day, etc). The album clocks in at 67 minutes. Not too bad for a prog album, but on the longer side of my taste.

Based on The Terminator (1984), "Fate of Man" opens the album with a power metal hymn featuring powerful performances from Brittney Slayes (Unleash the Archers) on vocals and a guitar solo from Michael Romeo (Symphony X). Talking about Symphony X, the next song "28 Days (Till the End of Time)" is 7:20 song featuring Sir Russell Allen. You can't go wrong with him, another great vocal performance! The song is great, a bit more mid tempo but super groovy, almost epic doom at times. "Prescient" highlight is the performance of the great Ross Jennings. The song is perfect for him as it does have a Haken/Dream Theater vibe. You may even think that James LaBrie is in there, but as far as I know that's not the case. Based on one of my favorite movies of all time, "Back from the Past" features some funny lyrics about Back to the Future (1985).  Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal lays down the intriguing guitar solo and interestingly the vocals are from his band mate on Sons of Apollo, Jeff Scott Soto. It's a straightforward rock song, a lot of fun. Another direct song is the title track which is the shortest song on the album and placed as song #5. It gives me this Whitesnake / Guns N Roses vibe. 

The Final Countdown is a 1980 American science fiction war film about a modern nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that travels through time to the day before the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Hence why the track is named "The Year of '41". Legendary Joe Lynn Turner fronts this song which is one of the coolest vocal lines in the album. A fun track! To top it off, there are nice guitar and synth solos...kind of a Rainbow/Malmsteen homage, the synth solo? it's by Jens Johansson. "Bridge of Life" is classic Damian Wilson giving me goose bumps! What a beautiful song. Floor Jansen is also back for the song "A Hand on the Clock" with it she revives her After Forever partnership with  Joost van den Broek who plays the Hammond solo. It's nice to hear Floor singing a straightforward full of energy metal song. What a performance! The almost 10 min closer "Lost Children of the Universe" delight us with Roy Khan in top performance, specially the initial verses are so Kamelot, it's great. I haven't been able to fully embrace his work after Kamelot, but this song proves to me that he still have it. The cherry on top of this time travel themed cake is a amazing solo by Steve Vai. That's it! Nothing more to say.

The Picky Guy

If I am to pick on a couple of things, I'd say that to my taste there is still too much backing vocals. I'd also like the album to be a bit heavier with even more emphasis on the guitars. But those are not actual problems but more a matte of taste. "Today is Yesterday" (based on the fantastic Groundhog Day) and "Beyond the Edge of it All" are the two songs the suffer the most for me on those points. 

Wrap Up Opinion 

Musicians and singer choices make total sense for the style or vibe of each song, Arjen knows how to pick them. And his song writing is top notch as always. He delivers the material so that those singers can perform at their best. Given the pandemic, it's even more impressive that he was still able to produce such a high quality album with so many top musicians. I can only highly recommend this one with a very good 82/100 score. If you like prog/power metal and clean powerful singing over great guitar work and amazing solos, you can't go wrong with Star One's best album to date. 

SCORE: 82/100

Genre: Progressive Metal

Released by Inside Out Music on February 18th, 2022

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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