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""The Ghost Experiment: Illumination" is a pure nugget of melodic progressive metal and presents a band at the peak of its art."
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5/5
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Vanden Plas doesn't know how to make albums anymore. Behind this provocative statement lies a factual observation: the Germans only make trilogies, diptychs where stories are stretched and repeated. Vanden Plas' last single album is already 10 years old, and it wasn't their most memorable production. As a result, "The Ghost Experiment: Illumination" is the sequel to the "Awakening" of the same name released in mid 2019. The latter had marked the editorial staff of Music Waves for its metal evolution with riffs more muscular than usual.
Unsurprisingly, this sequel is part of the same trend. Some riffs are indeed more heavy or more jerky like the one of 'Fatal Arcadia' or the final riff of the intro 'When The World Is Falling Down'. These two of them are looking at the djent side of progressive metal. But make no mistake about it, Vanden Plas continue to make Vanden Plas and the band's lovers will get their money's worth. They will find again this incredible propensity to produce rich melodies and intricately constructed songs while remaining extremely accessible. The refrains are clinically immediate and the album is full of hits, starting with 'Under The Horizon' or the opening track. They set the tone for a rich and efficient album, in a progressive and melodic vein as the Kaiserslautern natives know how to do so well since the extraordinary "Christ.0" in 2006, a masterpiece of melodic progressive metal that ranked the Germans alongside Darkwater or Dream Theater.
Grumpy people will grumble that all this is already heard. Sure, but how many bands are capable of melodic sweetness like on 'Black Waltz Death' or the splendid finale of 'The Lonely Psychogon'. How many bands excel in exciting compositions where the metallic flashes compete with the aerial breaks like on the excellent 'Fatal Arcadia'. There are few to compose epic tracks such as 'The Ouroboros' contain multiple progressive developments in osmosis with the evoked concept, such as this break with an agonizing ticking tick that depicts so well the urgency and the anguish of time passing inexorably. Finally Stephan Lill is a virtuoso whose creative resource allows him to create infinite riffs and offers astounding solos while is mate Gunter Werno contributes to the unique sound of the band with his deliciously outdated keyboards or with his frenzied solos.
Vanden Plas has always liked to tell stories and set them to music. This is done one more time in this "The Ghost Experiment: Illumination" an album as rich and intense as "Christ.0" and "Chronicles Of The Immortals", a work that will leave nobody unscathed. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. When The World Is Falling Down
 02. Under The Horizon
03. Black Waltz Death
04. The Lonely Psychogon
05. Fatal Arcadia
06. The Ouroboros
07. Ghost Engineers
08. Krieg kennt keine Sieger(Bonus Track)
LINEUP:
Andreas Lill: Batterie
Andy Kuntz: Chant
Günter Werno: Claviers
Stephan Lill: Guitares
Torsten Reichert: Basse
Alea: Chant / Invité
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4.9/5 (7 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.7/5 (6 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH VANDEN PLAS
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LAST INTERVIEW
VANDEN PLAS (DECEMBER 22, 2020)
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On the occasion of the release of "The Ghost Experiment: Illumination", Stephan Lill confided at length to Music Waves
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT VANDEN PLAS
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