Review of Stream of Passion - Live In The Real World (DVD)

After catching some flak from some of their fan base for recording their debut album, Embrace the Storm, over the Internet by sending files back and forth amongst several musicians who were relatively unfamiliar with one another, founding member Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) felt it necessary to prove the ever so judgmental naysayer wrong by confirming that his communal of Goth-tinged progressive rock musicians could perform said recorded music in a live setting. His quest and desire to do so was certainly worth the effort, as after some limited rehearsal time he and his congregation of what he calls “inexperienced” musicians weaved its way to an impressively noticeable comfort factor seen throughout their entire set on this debut DVD, entitled Live in the Real World. Not only will fans of Stream of Passion be mesmerized by this package, but fans of Lucassen’s more notable project, Ayreon, will see this collective perform some of that project’s many gems as well on this special night in their home country of the Netherlands.

With roughly 140 minutes worth of material, the main feature starts with a short intro with the band ultimately trudging forth into a set filled with intense sadness coupled with a passionate magic that has the crowd enthused and hungry from start to finish. Beautiful front-woman Marcela Bovio is the obvious center of attention when it comes to the group, and with the help of her equally talented sister, the tandem put on a stunning vocal performance full of beautiful melodies that recede and surge with dazzling confidence. Marcela also shows her diverse talent by pulling out her violin that simply gels with the vast array of musicianship on display. Lead guitarist Lori Linstruth, backed up by the tight rhythms courtesy of Lucassen, shines throughout with her simple yet effective melodic passages that aren’t necessarily solos but more notey runs that speak clearly and captivate the viewer. The atmospheric and slightly melodic keys of Alejandro Millán give each song the perfect amount of ambience and suitably filling texture. The backbone of the band is solid with the steady Davey Mickers kicking and hitting his way around his kit, and bassist Johan van Stratum shows his knowledge around his fret board with sweeping ability. Stepping up to handle the male vocals during the Ayreon tracks is Damian Wilson (ex-Threshold), and with the help of the Bovio sisters the Ayreon numbers come across like never before with a slightly different yet refreshing quality.

The visuals are a tad dark for my taste as I generally prefer a flashier light show, but with that said the vast array of camera angles catches this magnificent performance with top notch quality. The sound of the music could be a bit beefier, but each instrument is distinct and clear. Extras will include the always necessary Behind the Scenes footage, a glamorous Photo Gallery, a Video Clip of the song "Out in the Real World" (includes the Making of the Video Clip) and a wonderfully thrown together Tour Diary.

I’m not the biggest fan of music like this, but I can truly say that this is a very professional package and the band puts on a great show. This DVD is truly a must have for fans of both Ayreon and Stream of Passion, and will undoubtedly be money well spent.

Release Details

Stream of Passion

Live In The Real World (DVD)

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