hese days, most blockbuster science-fiction films spawn countless ancillary products—including books, action figures, video games and, of course, sequels—yet few motion pictures stimulate the composition of new music apart from a standard score. Space Metal, a fresh concept album from hard-rock artist Arjen Anthony Lucassen, is therefore a welcome aberration, since many of the tunes are directly inspired by well-known SF movies and, in at least one case, a famed British TV series.
Following the quiet, synthesizer-driven "Lift-Off," Lucassen unleashes a continuous onslaught of wailing guitars, pummeling percussion and high-energy speculative lyrics. "Songs of the Ocean," a work clearly suggested by Star Trek IV, is a gritty ode to environmental destruction, just as "High Moon" and "Perfect Survivor," tracks which respectively evoke the films Outland and Alien, are rough-and-tumble numbers with forceful, menacing words, unyielding rhythms and dark, haunting overtones. Other compositions connote equally robust sounds based upon such celebrated productions as Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dune and Stargate.
A bonus CD, packaged only with the limited-edition version of the album, features a half-dozen additional melodies, including an impressive "Hawkwind Medley," which pays homage to the pioneering space-rock ensemble and spotlights guest vocals from that band's leader, Dave Brock. The disc also contains a dour remake of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," along with two cuts, "Spaced Out" and "Inseparable Enemies," presumably derived from the movies Dark Star and Enemy Mine. Both platters are presented within a lavish 28-page booklet packed with imaginative illustrations by Mattias
Norén, plus a striking cover from Hugo Award-winning artist Vincent Di Fate.
Inspired sonic space movies
With the burgeoning popularity of SF throughout practically all media, it's not too surprising to discover that futuristic themes nowadays appear in just about every popular musical genre. However, it seems that fantastical motifs often emerge most palpably in hard-rock projects. As the name implies, Space Metal fuses some of the finest facets of heavy metal—in addition to a few of its excesses—with a bevy of creative narratives fueled by the best science-fiction films, offering a sometimes trite but invariably exhilarating harmonic journey to far-flung destinations that, as the liner notes attest, "seem strangely familiar."
Through a grinding bass countered with voices representing a troubled apprentice, his teacher and an evil lord, "Master of Darkness" evokes comparable levels of malevolence and hope, expertly recalling the initial Star Wars motion picture. "Intergalactic Space Crusaders" provides a slightly sparer sound, with a thoughtful libretto crooned by an unidentified idealist and his companion, a similarly anonymous loner. Plainly prompted by the TV series Blake's 7, the tune is simultaneously stark and significant. Other notable numbers are "Starchild"—showcased on the original disc and, in a remixed version, on the bonus CD—and the spirited "Hawkwind Medley."
The myriad members of Lucassen's Star One ensemble, comprised of artists from well-known metal bands like Stratovarius and Symphony X, are uniformly talented, although they do on occasion succumb to Spinal Tap-like self-indulgence, unnecessarily unleashing overwrought vocal performances and exaggerated guitar pyrotechnics. A few cuts are also stylistically weak, especially "Sandrider," which never quite captures the mystical elements of Dune. Still, Space Metal remains, for the most part, fulfilling and fun, forming memorable "sonic space movies" that are truly innovative and entertaining.
