Guilt Machine - On This Perfect Day

December 7, 2009

Reviewer: M.J.

Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon, Ambeon, and Stream of Passion has put together a band (yes, band - not project) in the form of Guilt Machine. Arjen’s signature sound is kept fairly intact with Guilt Machine although it is less bombastic. The new band is comprised of Lori Linstruth (ex-Stream Of Passion) on guitar, Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree) on drums, Arjen on keys, backing vocals, guitars, etc. and relative newcomer Jasper Steverlinck (Arid) on vocals. Jasper comes from an indie/alternative rock background, and his voice is eerily reminiscent of the late, great Jeff Buckley and the mellower side of Freddie Mercury. For most Arjen fans, this and the subdued sound will be the make-or-break factors in enjoying the new band.

On This Perfect Day starts off with “Twisted Coil,” which is easily the most accessible and memorable song on the album despite its 11:43 length. No surprise here; all of the songs are over 6 minutes long, with four being over 10 minutes in length. For anyone thinking about cruising through this record, it‘s pretty heady, especially the first time. So be forewarned that this requires repeated listenings to fully comprehend. On the plus side, many of the songs have recurring musical themes that keep the listener from feeling completely overwhelmed or awash in open ended musical free-for-alls. Digestibility is also aided with the use of ambient and acoustic passages that reflect the atmosphere of contemplation and introspection conveyed by the lyrics. This is the most personally reflective album of Arjen’s career, and the mood is steered by self-confessional lyrics about the myriad of struggles dealing with the human experience. Space opera, this is not.

The vocals and keyboards dominate this release, no doubt about it. There are a few nice guitar riffs, and of special note, the melodic guitar solo in “Perfection?” resounds with a jubilant “yes” to the question posed by its namesake.  The backing rhythm section is very solid, as it should be, but it's nothing spectacular. It’s very slickly produced with meticulous attention given to the most minor of details and all without sounding too sterile. Surprisingly, the gut-wrenchingly raw lyrics are all written by Lori Linstruth, yet it is Arjen who has been through deep personal turmoil in the past year. Kindred spirits coalesce.

If you are a fan of Arjen then this will probably satisfy, more so if you like his forays into progressive rock. This has shades of Pink Floyd and Queen throughout and should appeal to fans of those bands. This also comes in 3 different packaged sets. One is the standard single CD release, and the other two contain more photos, glossy pages, and a DVD with videos, extra songs and some variations of these songs. Overall I feel On This Perfect Day, while dealing with the darker side of life, is still too bright and shiny, lacking an aggressive edge necessary to make this a great record. Hopefully, the second time around, this machine will be firing on all four cylinders.

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Label: Mascot Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Twisted Coil
2.  Leland Street
3.  Green and Cream
4.  Season of Denial
5.  Over
6.  Perfection?

Total playing time: 57:37

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