Ayreon

A Fate Symphony is already the 4th rock opera made by Medea. Medea is a solo project and the brainchild of composer and multi-musician Henry Meeuws. If you liked his previous albums and you enjoy the music of Ayreon then this album will again be a treat for your precious ears. A Fate Symphony contains ten new songs and the album clocks just over an hour playing time. As usual Meeuws plays the guitars and the keyboards and he "hires" a couple of singers for the vocal parts. On this album you can hear the voices of Bart Schwartmann, Bas Dolmans, Jo de Boeck and Joss Mennen; the latter mentioned is of course known from his work with the rock band Mennen. A Fate Symphony is a concept album, again, and the music can best be described as melodic prog with symphonic musical characteristics and influences from bands like Ayreon and Dream Theater.

Stream of Passion is another one of Arjen Anthony Lucassen's ( Ayreon, Ambeon, Star One) projects and features musicians from as different countries as The Netherlands, USA, Mexico and Brazil. The music is build around Mexican female vocalist Marcela Bovio's beautiful voice. Arjen discovered her and she guested on Ayreon's The Human Equation album from 2004.

In May 2018, Anneke van Giersbergen (VUUR, Devin Townsend Project, The Gathering) performed two career-spanning concerts with orchestral arrangements together with Residentie Orkest The Hague. Fans came from all over the world to see and hear this crossover collaboration, but soon everyone will be able to experience these concerts, as Anneke and the orchestra are set to release a live album. ‘Symphonized’ features 11 tracks and will be released on InsideOut Music on November 16, 2018.

One of the bastions of progressive rock and an innovator in the use of keyboards in rock music, former Yes keysman Rick Wakeman is a true musical pioneer. The 2001 live album Out Of The Blue spotlights the man in all his synthesizer glory, each track an epic in itself. It is also evident that he has influenced nearly every keyboard player in the progressive rock and metal field. Performing with Wakeman at this concert, recorded at the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, are vocalist Damian Wilson (Ayreon, Threshold), drummer Tony Fernandez (The Strawbs), guitarist Ant Glynne, bassist Lee Pomeroy, and Wakeman’s son and fellow keyboardist Adam Wakeman.

In the past, Anneke van Giersbergen, former singer of The Gathering and mastermind of the Agua De Annique, featured on two Ayreon's albums: Into The Electric Castle and 01011001. The Gentle Storm is one of the many side projects of the Dutch multi-instrumentist Arjen Anthony Lucassen. Officially they are the only two band members, but in their first release they feature Ed Warby at drums, who was also in Into The Electric Castle and Johan Van Stratum (Stream Of Passion) at bass. The album is actually offered in two contrasting interpretations in the one package, a "Gentle" version that presents the pieces in a prettier and frequently orchestrated format, and a "Storm" version of the same core tracks that adds the heavier rock guitars perhaps more associated with Lucassen.

Melting Clock came to life in Genoa in 2001 to play progressive rock covers of bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, PFM, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Opeth or Ayreon just to name a few. After many years spent honing their skills and some line up changes, in 2019 the band released an excellent debut album, entitled "Destinazioni", on the Black Widow Records. According to the band, it's a concept album sui generis with pieces revolving about the theme of travel in all its meanings and the art cover by Matteo Anselmo gives a clue of its musical and lyrical content. The melodic style is a relatively accessible combination of vocal oriented, calm pop rock and 70's inspired symphonic rock. Even the least proggy songs are enjoyable, and none of them actually is following the verse/chorus structure. This is a band worth keeping an eye on!