-

Komponist und Instrumentalmusiker aus Nordfriesland

-



REVIEWS




AIRS - A  Rock Opera

www.seaoftranquility.org

"Airs has no less than ten (seven [sic]) vocalists to get the story across and I have to say they do a fabulous job of conveying the necessary emotions crucial to the concept."

"..  Likewise, the music is just as rewarding. This is progressive minded AOR/ metal and I was reminded of bands like Kansas, Queensryche, Savatage and Shadow Gallery."


"This is a superb album and should please fans of rock operas, hard rock, metal and just about anyone who likes melodic music in general."

4,5 / 5

vollständiges Review lesen!


www.prog-sphere.com

"With a tightly written narrative, variety of songwriting and loads of theatrical flair, ‘Airs’ is an excellently constructed piece of work."

"Like all great rock operas, the music of ‘Airs’ shifts to whatever emotional state the narrative engages"

"As is typical for rock operas, much of the passion comes through in the vocals, and they have been chosen very well for their roles.... There is singing here that fits the heavy metal side of ‘Airs’, lighter melodic delivery for the softer parts, and even a Floor Kraaijvanger giving a standout performance on ‘The Great Salt Pond’ that would not sound of place in a gospel soundtrack."

" ... though as complex as it is, there is an accessible layer of melody to it. Brockmann has delivered a fine balance between compositional eloquence and simpler elements"

 ‘Airs’ ..... takes elements not only from the 70s, but from every decade since the 60’s, and fuses it into an emotionally stirring adventure. In short, ‘Airs’ is an excellent revival of the rock opera"

vollständiges Review lesen!


fretterverse.com

"What surprised me the most (pleasantly) about the CD is the wide variety of styles and influences Brockman draws from to write. I can hear hints of everything from Kansas, Iron Maiden, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, and lots of European metal.… it works, and in Brockman’s case it works very well!"

"There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your feet, with excellent guest contributions from Spock’s Beard’s Dave Meros (bass) and Alan Morse (guitar), Jochen Ohl (drums), and others. I often found myself wondering where the music would go next, because I knew it wouldn’t be what I expected and yet I knew it was going to be good."

"If you’re looking for something different to listen to, AIRS might be what you need. If you’re looking for a good dose of metal, rock, gospel, and thrash, AIRS can very well give you that fix."

vollständiges Review lesen!


www.progarchives.com  -  evolver

"Here we are, just over two months into 2012, and here is an album that I doubt will get pushed off of my top ten list for the year. In what appears to be a promising year for prog releases, this is an excellent start."

"
Lyrically, George Andrade's story is in essence a tale of guilt, remorse and redemption. Looking at it that way, it's hardly unusual. But in the telling, Andrade had come up with a completely fresh and original concept."

"Musically ... there is not a bit of filler, however. Each track is a gem."

"So. Fans of rock opera, prog metal, or great music - get this one."

4/5

vollständiges Review lesen!


West Side Dave's Metal Site

"... In fact, the album deals with honest, human emotions and issues that we all can relate to, thus ensuring a much broader appeal."

"... Musically, Steves` approach is in the vein of `70s` Prog; hints of Kansas and early Styx abound, though he throws some straight up Metal into the mix when appropriate. His guitarwork is especially impressive, and he displays equal facility in several styles."

"Surely one of the most original albums to come down the pike in a long time, "Airs-A Rock Opera" will open the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of listeners no matter what their genre of choice might be! One of 2012s` best!"


vollständiges Review lesen!


www.therocktologist.com     

"... When I listen to this album, I often hear glimpses of bands like Queen, Queensryche and Shadow Gallery, but not so much in the sense of sounding exactly like them (even though occasionally it gets close), but more in the power of the compositions and delivery. Steve Brockmann is obviously most comfortable in a rock/metal idiom and it works exceptionally well for a rock opera, where you really need music to convey a palette of different emotions..."

"...I'm usually not a big fan of rock operas, but if they are as emotionally charged, finely crafted and with a story that literally pulls you in, as is the case here, then I'm all in favour. Not only does Airs work for me as a rock opera, it works from a purely musical point of view as well. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a strong contender for best album of 2012...."

9 out of 10

vollständiges Review lesen!

metal shock finland  

"We are still in the beginning of 2012, but AIRS-A ROCK OPERA is going to be one my favourites this year."

" ... everybody and everything in this album are in right place, and that’s one of the reasons that I called this album awesome."


" ... if you are always looking for good music or if you are one of those people who like Camel, Eloy, Savatage or Pink Floyd, this album is for you."

(9/10)

vollständiges Review lesen!

www.progressiverockbr.com

 " ...a perfect combination, between the music and the lyrics, and become musically something that is absolutely gorgeous, something like a majestic project, where all musical elements work to a vibrant and emotional journey to the realm of Progressive Rock world..."

"... combining musical styles such as Symphonic Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Melodic Metal, Hard Rock, Classic Rock and Progressive Metal, into a modern experimentation, using diverse ways of amazing arrangements."

"This musical project is characterized by an elaborate harmonic texture, with diverse rhythmic evolutions, clear melodic lines and a liking for sudden instrumental alterations around the arrangements, which are many times symphonic and melodic, that rapidly changing to a more aggressive line of Heavy Metal and Prog Metal, which is remarkable by powerful drums, sometimes using aggressive vocals, led by amazing guitars solos creating an overwhelming musical dimension."

"Musically the sound on this album leans heavily on the influences of rock from seventies/eighties, but with some hints of Rock from nineties, listen carefully and you will find musical smells from "Black Sabbath", "Pink Floyd", "Yes", "Uriah Heep", "Saga", "Styx", "Queensryche", "Iron Maiden" and so on. "Airs - A Rock Opera" is an amazing album for any fan of Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, Melodic Metal, Heavy Metal, Prog Metal or for any fans of catchy music in general."

"Brilliant and fantastic, highly recommendable..."


vollständiges Review lesen!

progmistress.com

"In order to convey all the different facets of Owen’s personality and his emotional journey, Brockmann and Andrade decided to recruit a range of singers with different vocal characteristics  instead of just one – a choice that, though it might come across at somewhat odd, works surprisingly well."

"Like the best rock operas of the past, AIRS encompasses a wide range of musical influences, though it is more of a song-based, AOR/classic rock effort with prog overtones than a full-fledged prog album...."

"... Prog-metal fans will surely appreciate the epic sweep and intensity of the Iron Maiden-tinged “Grounded” and “Grounded II”, as well as the heady tempo changes of “Heritage” – all masterfully interpreted by Gordon Tittsworth , vocalist with US band Images of Eden (who also appeared on The Anabasis’ debut). The lovely power ballad “Fateful Days” (later reprised as short instrumental, and as “Owen” at the very close of the album) showcases Paul Adrian Villareal’s confident, melodic tenor, already appreciated in Sun Caged’s The Lotus Effect, further enhanced by Brockmann’s splendid guitar and keyboard work."


" ... Floor Kraaijvanger’s stunning, soulful contralto renders Annabelle’s mix of strength and vulnerability in impressive fashion. How refreshing to hear a vocalist that sounds more like Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner than the umpteenth Annie Haslam clone! Finally, young Antila Thomsen’s pure, sweet voice is a perfect fit for Hannah’s wounded innocence."

" ...it is not an album for those who are looking for cutting-edge material,  nor does it pretend to offer anything other than well-executed music with plenty of melody and catchy hooks and choruses, performed by a group of outstanding artists."


vollständiges Review lesen!

www.progarchives.com  -   Steve Lazenby


"... so, a massive mixture of music here, ranging from the pastoral, to the symphonic, to the operatic, to the downright loud and proud metal, each reflecting the story they tell.

All of the vocalists put in great performances, and I should provide a special mention for Jochen Ohl who is excellent on drums throughout. I must say, though, that this album will ensure that I seek out more of Steve Brockmann's work, because he proves himself to be an incredible multi-instrumentalist. His keyboards, especially, would grace the presence of any major prog band on the planet today, they are that good.

To summarise, this is an excellent piece of work, and I for one sincerely hope that it does not prove to be a one-off collaboration by these two, because they clearly excel in each other's company.

... This album might not be iconic in the fashion of Tommy, War of the Worlds, Preservation, or A Night at the Opera. I'll tell you what, though?It most definitely is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath, and takes the dear old Rock Opera to fresh heights in a modern rock setting."


vollständiges Review lesen!




www.progarchives.com   -   Andy Webb


"... The album’s 18 tracks explore a host of themes and elements, twisting and turning moods with the whim of the emotive lyrics, awakening the script from just words on a page to the heightened sense of emotion of which they deserve ...
.. The continuity of melodies, the truly “human” concept, the mature and accessible compositions, and the fantastic production quality make this album shine, showing the great creative prowess of the minds of George Andrade and Steve Brockmann."


vollständiges Review lesen!




www.progarchives.com   -   Uwe Zickel


"... Attractive in the wake of expanded boundaries AIRS will appeal to prog fans as well as AOR and standard rock music lovers...

... Additionally the production is flawless by all means....

... I'm really impressed by some catchy earworms which are embedded..."



vollständiges Review lesen!

www.musicinbelgium.net

www.
« Fateful days » ouvre l’album et le 1er chapitre en confirmant cette option musicale qui ravira les amateurs de Toto. Le titre suivant « Grounded » est déjà plus heavy dans la tonalité. « Kites » est une splendide ballade conduite au piano, superbe de retenue et en même temps d’émotion toute pudique, magistralement chantée par Tilman Eckelt, sans conteste un moment fort de l’album. On retrouve donc un hard rock dont la palette oscille entre l’AOR de Toto et de Styx, et le métal plus ou moins prog d’un Savatage qui se serait assagi. Cornelius Kappabani élève « Flight » dans la qualité et constitue aussi un des meilleurs titres de l’album, avec « Flight II », situé plus loin dans l’ordre des morceaux.

3,5 / 5

lire la suite!