EQUILIBRIO (NL+E)

Na het debuut Receiving Tomorrow (2004) en de opvolger Surreal (2007) presenteren de vijf mannen van Xystus uit Den Bosch en omstreken een gigantisch project: Equilibrio, een rockopera in samenwerking met nationale beroemdheden uit de gothicmetal, zoals Simone Simons (Epica) en George Oosthoek (Orphanage), uit de theaterwereld John Vooijs en Michelle Spietelhof plus het voltallige Utrechtsch Studenten Concert (USC). Van 4 tot 6 juli werd de rockopera integraal uitgevoerd op de Utrechtse podia Vredenburg en Leidscherijn samen met gasten en het jubilerende USC. De dvd die daarvan is opgenomen, zal op 11 januari 2009 uitkomen en wie de releaseparty van dit spektakel live wil zien - Xystus met orkest, Simons en Oosthoek - zal daarvoor naar Den Bosch moeten. Drummer Ivo van Dijk en toetsenist Joris van de Kerkhof namen de productie voor hun rekening; medeoprichter en zanger van Xystus Bas Dolmans vertolkt de hoofdrol, namelijk die van Diego, the Traveller. De band verzorgde de muziek, schreef het verhaal en de teksten en nam het voortouw voor de live-uitvoering. Op Equilibrio is niet de gehele rockopera te horen, maar ruim 56 minuten van de belangrijkste scènes. De orkestrale ouverture wordt gevolgd door een mix van musical, metal, prog, klassiek en arrangementen, zoals we die ook kennen van bands als Nightwish en Epica. Het gehele project is bijzonder coherent en melodieus en het grote orkest vervult een prominente rol. Het theatrale aspect zal op de dvd ongetwijfeld nog beter tot zijn recht komen, maar als cd is deze schijf eveneens zeer de moeite waard. Hulde voor dit ambitieuze project, waarbij Xystus nadrukkelijk zijn internationale aspiraties kracht bij zet.

ENGLISH:

The Dutch outfit Xystus from the area around southern city of Den Bosch is working hard for both national as well as international recognition. The critically acclaimed debut Receiving Tomorrow (2004), was followed by the recommended album Surreal (2006). Now, the band returns with a huge production: a genuine rock-opera in cooperation with the full Utrechts Studenten Orkest (USC), the oldest existing symphony orchestra in the Netherlands. They were celebrating their 185-year anniversary last year and their mission became to perform a rock-opera with a metal-band. This is how the idea of conceiving Equilibrio came to be. Sold out performances in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn in July 2008 eventually led to the release of a DVD, which can be ordered in the Netherlands through the band’s website. A few months earlier, the band recorded parts of this show in the studio and so the release of the album was realized. Guests are George Oosthoek (Orphanage), Simone Simons (Epica) and from th Dutch musical world John Vooijs and Michelle Spietelhof. Bas Dolman, Lead vocalist and founder member from Xystus performs the Traveller, the main character in the story. The huge task of the production of the album was done by drummer-composer Ivo van Dijk and keyboardist Joris van de Kerkhof. I must say that they did a remarkable job. The band supplied the core of all the music, the story and the lyrics and worked hard to get the whole production on stage. The full orchestra plays the classically oriented overture and is joined by the band, but the sound is more classical than metal. In My Song Of Creation Lady Sophia (Simons) starts singing with her sweet voice, accompanied by the orchestra. Now it’s more like a musical, but with a metal edge to it. An atmospheric piece of orchestral music as we know from bands like Epica and Nightwish  is followed by the band taking the lead in The Traveller and Dolman introduces himself as Diegu. Again a major role for the orchestra, some choir singing, the band joining in and Dolman is backed up by Death (Oosthoek). Some of these parts remind me of Merlin and Nostradamus by the Dutch band Kayak. We’re shifting into higher gear with Divided We Stand. Spietelhof’s voice sounds quite a bit like Cindy Oudshoorn (Kayak), while Vooijs’s voice sounds remarkably similar to that of Dolma, just a little sharper. In The Conflict we hear a solid piece of prog metal and Diegu is backed up by Aveline (Spietelhof) and then also Primos (Vooijs) comes along. Throughout this track, Death performs his notorious grunts. Tears can be shed in the slower melodic Destiny Unveiled. In My Time Of Need a more Celtic atmosphere can be heard with recorders and the harp, then a gentle pop-rock tune with Aveline singing the lead. Again a very melodic tune in the same vein called Forever Bound with Diegu and Primos as main vocalists. A bit more up-tempo and more in the vein of what Xystus did on previous albums, with Primos singing a duet with Diegu in The Message, we also hear the guitar of Bob Wijtsma more prominent. The foundation laid by the rhythm section Mark Brekelmans and Ivo van Dijk is excellent. Death comes along near the end. More emotions and acoustic guitars in the mellow Balance Restored, sung by Diegu, Aveline and Primos. The finale is more like prog metal in the vein of gothic rock and Lady Sophia returns once more. Because of her singing, this peace could have easily been performed by Epica. In contrast to other gothic rock albums and rock-operas, Xystus has managed to offer the listener a masterful experience, keeping their own identity, but granting the full USC to play a major role throughout the entire album. Equilibrio is not just an album for group and orchestra but a real synthesis with equal parts for orchestra, band and vocalists: an impressive accomplishment, deserving our utmost admiration!