Prog has never really been cool. In the last few years Periphery have made it just a tad more accessible and Devin Townsend has added a dose of the ridiculous, but the genre is still largely dismissed as little more than a sea of bassoon solos and lyrics about goblins.
The Gentle Storm can change this. The brainchild of Arjen Lucassen, the mastermind behind Ayreon, Star One, Guilt Machine and other expansive works, the band took shape once he decided Anneke van Giersbergen was the person to tie together its double-handed approach.
“I already had a couple of songs, which I had composed orchestrally,” Lucassen says. “It was just one string sound and it forced me to write good songs, because it's not based on rhythms or guitars or keyboard sounds. I asked the fans what they would like to hear next from me and a lot of people wanted something heavy. But, surprisingly, a lot of people wanted something folky.
“I have no idea if it's been done before, but I thought it would be a cool idea to do the same songs in two completely different settings: one completely heavy and bombastic, and one folky. In the back of my head, I was thinking: 'Who the hell can do these two things?' The only person I came up with was Anneke. I wanted to continue with the songs before I made a decision, and right at that time she contacted me and I sent her the demos.”
The pair had already worked together on a couple of occasions, so a full-blown collaboration was always likely to pique the interest of fans. The Gentle Storm's debut release, 'The Diary', shares the epic ambition of Lucassen's previous projects but is trimmed of any fat. But, split across two discs - the 'Gentle' acoustic side and the bombastic 'Storm' side - it's an idea that could have gone very wrong very quickly.
It's a masterpiece. Orchestration melds with sharp, bulldozing riffs and Van Giersbergen's powerhouse vocals on the 'Storm' half, while wind instruments lull the listener into a false sense of security throughout the 'Gentle' half. 'The Diary' is a lengthy beast but, compared to Lucassen's previous efforts, it’s a taut affair that has the potential to appeal to Ensiferum fans just as much as it might tickle the fancy of a King Crimson nut.
“I'm sure there's an audience,” Lucassen says. “It will be part of the audience that knows me, but people who are looking for keyboard-driven, proggy 20 minute songs will not find it. We have to reach out to another audience...which I'm sure is there.”
Which brings us, rather nicely, to the lyrics. 'The Diary' is a concept album, which is something Lucassen devotees will be all too familiar with. “I always thought it made it easier,” he laughs. “If you make an album with 10 different songs then you have to come up with 10 different concepts. It's way harder. It's so much easier to write it as a story and go: 'I'm curious to find what happens on the next page. Wait, I'm writing it myself!' The music is cinematic, so it just had to be a story.”
Written mostly by Van Giersbergen and guided by Lucassen, the tale in question is one that would make the steeliest heart melt. It's a love story. An icky, soppy love story. And it's great.
“It takes place in the 17th century, which is the Dutch golden age,” Van Giersbergen says. “Holland was booming, in terms of art, music and philosophy, and the country got rich through the VOC ships, which was a company that sailed all over the world to get spices, food and fabrics to sell. There was a lot of money coming in so we flourished. It's a famous thing in Holland.
“So we have a man and a woman in the story. A man goes out on one of these ships for two and a half years and they write each other letters. The letters form the basis of the album – letters from both him and her – and they tell each other how they miss each other. It's a love story but it has to have drama. There's a storm, there's a trip to India and there's illness. You can read it all in these letters.”
“The story starts when she's up in her attic and finds this big trunk,” Lucassen chimes in. “She opens it and there's a really old book, and all these letters fall out. The songs are Anneke reading the letters, which is why it's her singing both the letters from the man and the woman.”
The story is fraught with obstacles, but that's not to say the recording process was smooth sailing either. In what can only be described as 'a bit of a kerfuffle', The Gentle Storm overcame a plethora of problems in order to release 'The Diary'.
“We recorded the drums with a guy I've been working with all my life,” Lucassen says. “I'd already planned to record in another studio but he wanted us to do it in his studio, and the studio was a total mess. There was no talk-back, there were no mics, no hole in the wall. He said he'd fix it. We waited for three days there.
“Then we found the mixer didn't work. We recorded four songs, then I looked at the wav files and said: 'I don't think there's a cymbal in there'. That mic didn't work either. So we had to re-do those songs. I just realised it wouldn't work so I booked another studio. Ed [Warby, drummer] came in and re-did his parts in one sitting. Amazing drummer. Not a good, experience, though.”
The Gentle Storm pulled through and recorded an absolute monster of a record, following that up with a series of acoustic shows. Which were notable, as Lucassen hasn't toured in years. “I see myself as a composer and a producer,” he says. “I want to be creative in my studio. In the last 20 years, I have led a very reclusive life – almost obsessive. Every day is almost the same as the other day, up to the minute. That's the way I function. I hate travelling. It's just not my thing. However, the moment I'm on stage and I see all these happy faces, that makes it worth it. It's a beautiful moment, but people forget there are months of preparations and rehearsals before that.”
It's apparent that this man is not comfortable. During the interview, he's been pacing the room, stretching, crouching and more in an attempt to soothe his back. How much cash did they slip him to even consider this? “So much! I'm broke, man,” Van Giersbergen laughs. “I was so happy that Arjen said he believed in The Gentle Storm so much that he'd do anything for it. He's getting out of his comfort zone. Even the practical things are a struggle. When we're in an aeroplane, I see that it's a big task for him. This makes it extra special that he's out on the road for a while to promote and enjoy this album.”
Unfortunately for UK fans, Lucassen won’t be making an appearance when The Gentle Storm hit our shores next month. That being said, it's still going to kick arse with Van Giersbergen at the helm and the prospect of the band continuing to make music post-’The Diary’ is still on the table.
“There's lots of stuff planned already, as nobody heard one note of this album and people have already bought tickets for the club shows and festivals are interested in us,” grins Van Giersbergen. “I did so many things at the same time in the past, so I'm just really happy to focus on this. I'll play with The Gentle Storm in 2015 and 2016, as there are already gigs planned.”
“If this is a success, I would love to do a follow up,” concludes Lucassen. “I've done a lot of projects that didn't have follow ups that maybe would have if it had been successful. If this is a success – which will probably depend on CD sales, as that is my income – then I would love to continue with it. In the meantime, I have no idea. I never plan, I just hope ideas come to me. If I decide now, I limit myself.”
If this is not a success, the rock community at large is in very sorry shape indeed. 'The Diary' is a monolithic effort and one that takes huge risks. In a sea of mediocrity and false idols, The Gentle Storm deserves to rage into the ears of those brave enough to listen.
The Gentle Storm Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu April 23 2015 - LONDON Garage
Fri April 24 2015 - LEICESTER Musician
Sat April 25 2015 - MANCHESTER Roadhouse
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