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Published: 25 January 2010

Stream Of Passion, A true stream of passion for music

Gothic metal fans have a damn good reason to be excited because the female fronted band Stream Of Passion is programmed at the Effenaar. The Dutch band, with the exception of singer Marcela Bovio who’s of Mexican descent, tours to promote the release of The Flame Within, in stores back in the autumn of 2009. The club at the Effenaar is a higly suitable location for a band like Stream Of Passion. The music is a lot heavier now than it was before but the almost heavenly voice of Marcela deserves a place like this one. SOP was originally an outlet for the musical mind of Arjen Lucassen. The really tall and really skinny guitar player stood at the cradle of one of the most famous Dutch export products called Vengeance. Together with his friend and singer Leon Goewie he toured intensely in Holland and Belgium. Lucassen is also the spiritual father of projects like Ayreon, Star One, Ambeon and most recent Guilt Machine. In 2005 he wrote the music for the first cd Embrace The Storm. Working with Bovio was the reason he even hit the road. Success could not prevent Lucassen from leaving and moving on to other musical endeavours. 2009 brought the long awaited The Flame Within and we can safely say that SOP, without Lucassen, can stand on his own two feet.

Last minute support act is first to hit the stage. Also female fronted they just are a bunch of young talented musicians who just released their debut cd. Songs from The Primrose are appreciated but you can tell by reactions of the crowd everyone is here for Stream Of Passion. The band immediately takes off and opens very hard with The Art Of Loss taken from that album. Now Or Never follows and issues the statement that Arjen Lucassen is not missed, at least musically. The songs of the latest capture original and heavy riffs filled with so much melody. Live you can taste the blood, sweat and tears that accompanied the writing of this music through the highly energetic performance of these songs. In Now Or Never, also from the last album, you notice the importance of the guitar duo consisting of newcomers Stephan Schultz and Eric Hazebroek. Driving force Johan van Stratum with his pumping bass noise (and that is meant in the most positive way) and the butchering drum sound, makes the performance so complete.

Even the keys of Jeffrey Revet are indispensable touches which blend in beautifully. In addition Marcela Bovio sings with a beautiful, melodic and almost divine voice. The ten euro entrance offers value for money. Calliopeia, last track from the debut, makes you remember the time when Lucassed filled the spot and puts the hairs on your arms in an upright position. Four numbers from The Flame Within are then kicked our way again and these songs are made to play live. The special edition bonus track Far And Apart, My Leader, Runaway and Games We Play rush by in a blaze and just dazzle you. These songs create many emotional reactions both for the band and the audience.

With eleven songs the focus is definetely on The Flame Within, but nobody complains, certainly not. Also In The End, A Part of You, All I Know, This Endless Night and Street Spirit made and found their way into the setlist. Street Spirit is a cover and tribute to Radiohead but -with sincere apologies to Radiohead - the version of SOP tastes better than the original and make you long for more stuff like that. A great concert and an excellent start of 2010, what more can a band and a audience wish for? A rhetorical question normally leaves you without an answer but we hope catching Stream Of Passion live again this year. The lady in the black thanks us all, speaking impeccable Dutch, and hopes to see us back very soon.

Setlist

Art Of Loss
Calliopeia
Now Or Never
Far And Apart
My Leader
Runaway
Games We Play
In The End
Deceiver
Passion
Out In The Real World
A Part Of You
All I Know

Haunted
Street Spirit
This Endless Night