Customer Reviews

Burn The Sun

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

FINALLY. It took an eternity for this album to be released in North America. Now more people can discuss life's ultimate mystery...How do you burn the sun?

Ark is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of progressive metal's most progressive bands. That might sound weird, since you'd figure that prog metal is progressive by virtue of nomenclature. However, it's not always true. The existence of the glut of lame Dream Theater clones out there seems to me a case in point. Here, the simple fact that there's virtually no Dream Theater comparison possible means that Ark has attained something rare in the progressive metal genre -- they are completely unique.

This is Ark's second album. As brilliant and original as the debut was, this is better. On a flat basis of originality, it stands a bit lower than the debut, but the songwriting here is simply jaw-dropping and the production quality flawless. While the song structures are usually pretty ordinary (namely the lyrical structures), the encompassing music is so diverse that it never feels streamlined at all. Individually, Ark is comprised of phenomenal musicians possessing chops and writing talent. Tore Ostby has thrust himself into the leadership race of best progressive metal guitarist. The man's style, tone, and technique are varied, unique, and precise. His playing ranges from the flaring leads of "Heal the Waters" to the bubbly flamenco plucking of "Just a Little." His stock of heavy riffs are much more diverse and interesting than the staple prog metal "chugga-chug" riffs. The awe-inspiring drummer John Macaluso unleashes ceaselessly complex rhythms with enough restraint that it isn't pretentious. Bassist Randy Coven and keyboardist Mats Olausson don't seem to be permanent band members, but they make an impression as more than just "session players." (Coven's bass is particularly great.)

Vocalist Jorne Lande is astonishing. Yes, he does sound like David Cloverdale at times, but one can't leave it at that. He possesses tremendous range and the dynamics of his voice are just incredible. If you listened to "Absolute Zero," "Just a Little," and "Torn," one might not immediately recognize that it's the same man singing. He does throw in some hack 80s rock bits like "baby" and "yeah!" but it seems to mesh so well. His emotional power is truly sincere...just listen to "Missing You." So diverse is Lande's singing that aside from the Cloverdale influence, I hear elements of Bono, Dio, Sting, and lots of classic rock singers. Not every one likes Lande's voice, which I understand. I think he's an incredible singer, though, and he mostly sounds better and more diverse here than on the debut. It's also nice to see a prog metal band vocalist who isn't a tenth-rate James LaBrie or Geoff Tate clone. All in all, he's a vocalist of matchless depth and richness.

Burn the Sun deals out first-class progressive songs with focused fury, locking into an energetic groove that is the band's engine. The album is nearly unparalleled in diversity. In under an hour, there are 80s power ballads ("Feed the Fire"), soaring prog metal pieces ("Torn"), fierce rockers of simmering dynamics ("Heal the Waters," "Burn the Sun"), aggressive metal ("Noose"), delicious flamenco-based pop/rock ("Just a Little"), and finally an epic mega-ballad ("Missing You"). This last song, "Missing You," ends the album on a tender note, accentuated by orchestral keyboards and glowing pianos. It builds to a powerful, involving anthem of longing and romance. Ostby's solo is sensuous and stirring, and the heavier riffs near the end emphasize Lande's aching vocal. One of my other favorites is "Torn", a short polyrhythmic fury with a massive chorus.

With songwriting so outstandingly good and progressive, the fact that the production is killer is absolutely the icing on the cake. Burn the Sun should score a reward for having one of the best productions in progressive metal. The buzzing guitar riffs of the debut are replaced with an edgier, thicker sound. The clarity is incredible (I can hear every note on bass). But this is no sparkling AOR production...this mix has power! It's raw, but it doesn't sound messy.

The word of Ark's greatness must be spread throughout the progressive metal world. If you don't have Ark's albums, you're simply not hearing some of the best music the genre has to offer.

Burn The Sun(2001). Ark's second studio album.

Ark is a relatively unknown German progressive rock band which formed in the late 90s comprised of vocalist Jorn Lande (from The Snakes), guitarist Tore Otsby (from Conception), and drummer John Maculuso (from Yngwie Malmsteen). While the first album showed promise, it wasn't until the second album where Ark would truly shine as a unique band. Joining in on this release is bassist Randy Coven, and keyboardist Mats Olausson.

First of all, if you've never heard of Ark, I'm not the least bit surprised. I had to really search long and hard to discover this band. I only found this stellar album on accident after going from prog band to prog band and searching through hundreds of reviews. And man, I'm so glad I found them. Ark is easily one of the best modern prog metal bands to come along in a while, and certainly one of the best rock albums of the new millenium. As other reviewers have pointed out, Ark is not an easy band to describe. They're very progressive, but in a more subtle manner, so they never try to show off or anything like that. If you listen hard enough, Ark displays LOTS of different influences from music of other cultures. At the same time that they are progressive, Ark also writes VERY CATCHY hardrock music. Many of the songs will stick in your head, but there's enough "substance" in the music to keep it fresh everytime you come back to it. Like others have mentioned, Ark is a nice change of pace from all the Dream Theater clone bands that are around. Their general sound is sort of an 80s classic rock/prog rock hybrid that transcends to other musical plateaus from song to song. Sometimes you think you'll hear something that sounds like a familiar band, but at the same time they manage to keep the sound all their own. I like that quality in a band. Each track is very different, but similar enough to tell it's still the same band.

Before I get to the songs, I want to comment first on the bandmembers. All five of them are at the top of their game, and perform with stunning musicianship. Jorn Lande is one of the best vocalists I've heard in a long time. He has plenty of one thing that a lot of vocalists tend to lack: heart and soul. Jorn displays an incredible range, being low and melodic one minute, and shouting out to giant choruses the next, all the while gushing with pure emotion. His voice brings warmth to a day in age of cold, cookie-cutter, soulless MTV wannabe singers. Tore Ostby's guitaring accompanies the music nicely. He never shows off, and yet his range is OUTSTANDING, whether he's playing accoustic melodies or shredding great riffs. The same performing qualities can be said about John Macaluso's drumming and Randy Coven's bass playing. Mats Olausson's keyboard textures are perfect. They're never over the top, and they create awesome atmospheric backdrops to each of the songs. All five are some of the finest new rock musicians I've ever heard.

As for the songs, 'Heal The Waters' kicks things off, which is a steady atmospheric rocker containing a bunch of cool time-change signatures (and even a coin drop, if you listen!). 'Torn' is the next track, a mid-paced rocker with an awesome chorus and precise bass playing. There's some weird tribal vocals later in the song, but overall it's very good. After that is the title track, which is more straightforward in nature, yet dynamic in execution. 'Resurrection' is lighter and more melodic. 'Absolute Zero' has a very "new age" feel to it's pacing and completes the song with a memorable chorus. 'Just A Little' is perhaps the most unique track on here because the band ditches the traditional hardrock sound for a very Latin-esque flavor. Jorn's vocals assimilate this style very well. 'Waking Hour' is moody and airy in the verses with a heavier chorus. It breaks right into 'Noose', which is an excellent rocker with an AWESOME chorus. 'Feed The Fire' is also very fast and memorable. 'I Bleed' is an atmospheric track that slows the pace down before the stunning 9-minute ballad and album closer 'Missing You'.

Overall, if you're looking for a hardrock album that displays true talent, has a familiar oldschool rock sound to it, yet it manages to keep fresh and modern all at the same time, Ark's Burn The Sun is the perfect album to get. It deserves every one of its 5 stars. There's not really any bad thing I can say about this band. This is one of those rare cases where I heard high praising reviews about the album, and when I actually listened to it, it surprised me because it's actually as good as people say it is! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. BUY THIS IF YOU'RE OPEN TO ANYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO ROCK MUSIC. You won't be disappointed. I sure wasn't.

Other albums you may like that are similar to Burn The Sun:
-'Images & Words' by Dream Theater
-'Awake' by Dream Theater
-'One Hour By The Concrete Lake' by Pain Of Salvation
-'Parallel Minds' by Conception
-'Flow' by Conception
-'Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10' by Enchant

The core membership of Ark are Jorn Lande (ex-Millenium, Company of Snakes and Yngwie Malmsteen tour band), who can sing like Coverdale, but fuller, richer, more versatile, Tore Ostby (ex-Conception), who can compete with Yngwie for speed and also quotes Al Di Meola as an influence, and John Macaluso (ex-TNT and Malmsteen again), who is one of the best drummers I've ever heard. They wrote the material, then recruited Randy Coven (fretless bass) and Mats Olaussen (keys) to fill out the sound.

And the result is absolutely fantastic. Hard rock, sometimes metal, always melodic, progressive elements, but well constructed songs and choruses, long complex instrumental parts with the whole band (even vocals) contributing.

Heal The Waters is a storming rocker, with Jorn at his Coverdale best, complex rhythm patterns and a killer riff. Plus a great keys/guitar duel, almost neoclassical, and a strategically placed spinning coin (you've got to hear it).

Torn brings to mind U2 and even The Alarm, plus some great fretless work.

Burn The Sun is probably the most straightforward song, a rocker, and a good solid one it is too.

Resurrection starts as a ballad, with an underlying latin feel (that acoustic guitar) before the chorus kicks in, then the tempo changes and before you know it we're off into instrumental heaven, and a massive climax.

Absolute Zero starts with Jorn sounding like an amalgamation between Robert Plant and Bjork (I'm serious!), the chorus is more straightforward, and then the "proggy" bit flies off in new directions. Great stuff.

Just A Little is very latin, with a bit of Seal, and I love it to bits. The (spanish/flamenco) guitar is very interesting, the bass out of this world, the keyboard solo is almost Greek, and the final climax superb.

Waking Hour is a moody atmospheric piece, very spaceous and full of keys.

Noose is a fast rocker, with great guitar breaks, and a growling vocal.

Feed The Fire starts deceptively slow, then kicks into gear for the verse, the chorus is more mellow and full of feeling + space.

I Bleed is another mid-tempo tune, atmospheric and dramatic, with thoughtful vocals, and a bit of a dreamy mid-section.

Missing You finishes off the CD, a huge song, over 9 minutes long, with a haunting chorus, several changes in feel but all within a good structured composition, and the main theme is never lost. Jorn's vocals are excellent, the bass/drum groove drives through the piece, keys all over the place, and tasteful guitar, not too much, just right.

I can't say enough about this CD, anyone who likes rock/metal, good instrumental work, and likes to be musically challenged, GET THIS!

Where to start? First off this Guy, singer Jorne Lande has the most amazing and unique voice in rock music i,ve ever heard. He can scream and then go to a soft whisper in a moments time. Ist off the lp gets rockin hard with "Heal The Waters" a raucous song about sending a question to God! The next 3 songs Torn,Burn the sun, and resurrection also rock hard. Then #5 Absolute zero takes a unique change in style with a kinda new age vibe until the chourus kicks in with an unforgettable hook.#6 Just a little is a great melodic tune with a latin feel to it.#7 Wakin Hour is another great rocker, with #8 Noose getting down and dirty like a whitesnake song that Coverdale wish he could have written.# 8 is Feed the fire, a great uptempo song that has a unique softer chourus, its about how love feeds the fire of passion,1 of my faves on this disc.#10 is another rocker with #11Missing You being the Grand Finale in a big way,9 minutes long, its a beautiful song about love lost. It has beautiful keyboards that carry the song throughout and passionate vocals with Tore Otsby,s guitar sounding like David Gilmore. All in all this is a 10/10 record, all killer no filler.Exceptional!!

Burn the Sun has to be one of the most incredibly creative releases I've heard in years. I've already heard the comparisons, and for those who've heard Ark is another DT clone, ignore it. The two bands can only be compared through their incredible musicianship. Other than that, there aren't too many other similarities.

Burn the Sun can be enjoyed on many levels. Even if this album had no vocals, It'd still be one of my top ten albums of all time; but it does have vocals, incredible vocals the likes of which are seldom heard anymore in this modern world of whiny, lungless frontmen wailing about how much their lives suck. Ark's influences range from prog to jazz to spanish/flamenco to orchestral to salsa (yes, salsa, and it's incredibly cool) and the depth of their lyrics is astounding; this is a band of virtuosoes. For all the tech-head proggers out there, all the fusion lovers, anyone who loves well arranged and exquisitely performed music, this album is a must for your collection.

There are no two ways about it - this CD is awesome. The singer, Jorn Lande, has been around for a while, but never really made it - the closest was with Millenium, who did OK in Europe, and as Yngwie Malmsteen's touring vocalist until they had a li'l fight and he left. His basic voice is similar to David Coverdale, but fuller, and more versatile. He can (and does) take from Robert Plant, Lou Gramm, Glenn Hughes and even Bjork!!! The guitarist, Tore Ostby, has also done things on the quiet, and is VERY good. Hints of Malmsteen and Ty Tabor (two very different styles) but he is his own man, and knows it. John Macaluso is a total maniac on drums, keeps busy at all times, but tasteful, talented but not overwhelming. Randy Coven and his fretless bass, a joy to hear, well mixed so you can always hear him. And Mats Ollausen on keys, SO talented and versatile.

And the songs. Hard rock, metal, indie, ballads, even an acoustic latin piece (Just a Little - my favourite number), all are represented here (sometimes in the same song!!!) but the album feels GOOD, not disjointed, and flows from number to number flawlessly. Bottom line, these boys can write, play and produce, and Burn the Sun is the best thing I've bought this year.

How do you burn the sun? Hmm...the mysteries of life.

Ark is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of progressive metal's most progressive bands. That might sound weird, since you'd figure that prog metal is progressive by virtue of nomenclature. However, it's not always true. The existence of the glut of lame Dream Theater clones out there seems to me a case in point. Here, the simple fact that there's virtually no Dream Theater comparison possible means that Ark has attained something rare in the progressive metal genre -- they are completely unique.

This is Ark's second album. As brilliant and original as the debut was, this is better. On a flat basis of originality, it stands a bit lower than the debut, but the songwriting here is simply jaw-dropping and the production quality flawless. While the song structures are usually pretty ordinary (namely the lyrical structures), the encompassing music is so diverse that it never feels streamlined at all. Individually, Ark is comprised of phenomenal musicians possessing chops and writing talent. Tore Ostby has thrust himself into the leadership race of best progressive metal guitarist. The man's style, tone, and technique are varied, unique, and precise. His playing ranges from the flaring leads of "Heal the Waters" to the bubbly flamenco plucking of "Just a Little." His stock of heavy riffs are much more diverse and interesting than the staple prog metal "chugga-chug" riffs. The awe-inspiring drummer John Macaluso unleashes ceaselessly complex rhythms with enough restraint that it isn't pretentious. Bassist Randy Coven and keyboardist Mats Olausson don't seem to be permanent band members, but they make an impression as more than just "session players." (Coven's bass is particularly great.)

Vocalist Jorne Lande is astonishing. Yes, he does sound like David Cloverdale at times, but one can't leave it at that. He possesses tremendous range and the dynamics of his voice are just incredible. If you listened to "Absolute Zero," "Just a Little," and "Torn," one might not immediately recognize that it's the same man singing. He does throw in some hack 80s rock bits like "baby" and "yeah!" but it seems to mesh so well. His emotional power is truly sincere...just listen to "Missing You." So diverse is Lande's singing that aside from the Cloverdale influence, I hear elements of Bono, Dio, Sting, and lots of classic rock singers. Not every one likes Lande's voice, which I understand. I think he's an incredible singer, though, and he mostly sounds better and more diverse here than on the debut. It's also nice to see a prog metal band vocalist who isn't a tenth-rate James LaBrie or Geoff Tate clone. All in all, he's a vocalist of matchless depth and richness.

Burn the Sun deals out first-class progressive songs with focused fury, locking into an energetic groove that is the band's engine. The album is nearly unparalleled in diversity. In under an hour, there are 80s power ballads ("Feed the Fire"), soaring prog metal pieces ("Torn"), fierce rockers of simmering dynamics ("Heal the Waters," "Burn the Sun"), aggressive metal ("Noose"), delicious flamenco-based pop/rock ("Just a Little"), and finally an epic mega-ballad ("Missing You"). This last song, "Missing You," ends the album on a tender note, accentuated by orchestral keyboards and glowing pianos. It builds to a powerful, involving anthem of longing and romance. Ostby's solo is sensuous and stirring, and the heavier riffs near the end emphasize Lande's aching vocal.

With songwriting so outstandingly good and progressive, the fact that the production is killer is absolutely the icing on the cake. Burn the Sun should score a reward for having one of the best productions in progressive metal. The buzzing guitar riffs of the debut are replaced with an edgier, thicker sound. The clarity is incredible (I can hear every note on bass). But this is no sparkling AOR production...this mix has power! It's raw, but it doesn't sound messy.

I've had this album for months, and I feel bad about not reviewing it earlier. The word of Ark's greatness must be spread throughout the progressive metal world. If you don't have Ark's albums, you're simply not hearing some of the best music the genre has to offer. If you think the price of the Japanese import is prohibitive, hunt down the European edition.

Burn the Sun, Ark's second (and sadly final) album stands as a shining example of just how good a progressive metal album can be. Ark's self-titled debut was a very good progressive rock album, but with this Burn the Sun, the Scandinavian supergroup manages to capture everything that is great about progressive music while at the same time avoiding the genre's pitfalls.

The strength of progressive music is rooted in two things - the technical prowess of the musicians and experimental songwriting that challenges the musical status quo - and Ark has both of those bases covered. Guitarist Tore Ostby (ex-Conception), drummer John Macaluso (TNT), bassist Randy Coven (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen), and keyboardist Mats Olausson (also ex-Malmsteen) deliver performances worthy of the genre's best. Ark may not be at the same level of technical proficiency as bands like Spiral Architect or Watchtower, but they succeed in one key area where those bands fall short - songwriting. With some of these over-the-top virtuoso bands, you get the distinct impression that their "songs" are just a collection of instrumental solos strung together. Not so with Ark. Ark manages to display their technical chops without becoming self-indulgent and their songs have a melodic accessibility that too few progressive metal bands can master (Dream Theater comes immediately to mind). This has a lot to do with the band's secret weapon, vocal god Jorn Lande.

Jorn Lande (ex-just about everyone) is one of the best vocalists in hard rock. His vocal style is firmly rooted in the David Coverdale/Ronnie James Dio school, and has the powerful presence of an 80's rock frontman. He's also a very talented songwriter with a flair for melodic metal. Imagine David Coverdale fronting Fates Warning and you'll get an idea of what Jorn Lande's presence means to Ark.

This is one of those albums where all of the stars are in perfect alignment. The band delivers a jaw-dropping technical performance and Jorn's vocal performance has the same impact. With a couple of exceptions, the songs average about 4-5 minutes each, proving that the musicians can avoid the typical progressive metal excesses. There's a great variety in the songwriting as well. In addition to the typical progressive metal style, there are elements of melodic rock, pop, and some of the tracks even have a groove that is downright funky (there's a term I never thought I'd apply to progressive metal). All of these elements work together with perfect synchronicity, the result of which is a truly unique metal album that is progressive in every sense of the word.

Burn the Sun is an essential progressive album. If you're into any kind of progressive music - from Dream Theater to Spiral Architect to King Crimson to ELP to Pain of Salvation to Spock's Beard - you must hear this album.

I agree with the previous reviewers: ARK is an amazing band of exceptionally talented musicians, fronted by a vocalist that harkens back to the glory days of David Coverdale (Whitesnake), Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) and other powerful singers who could really belt it out.

I can't add much to the play-by-play descriptions put forth by others, all I can tell you is I tend to be a musical snob. I either love something or I hate it. And I know immediately from the first track which it'll be.

So whenever I listen to a new CD, it has to grab me from the first song with something -- anything -- that's creative, expressive, new, bold, brilliantly played, passionate -- well, you get the idea.

ARK hooked me. Immediately.

Musically, this band covers a wide range of styles and genres, from latin-tinged explorations, to flat-out progressive metal, to melodic hard rock -- all performed seamlessly and seemingly without effort. The icing on the cake is Jorn Lande, who has become one of my favorite vocalists of all time.

I hear ARK is in the studio working on their next album. If it's even half as good as Burn the Sun, it'll still be miles above almost everything else out there right now.

This is extraordinary music. Don't let it pass you by.

I had never heard of ARK before reading reviews here. It sounded too good to be true -- an original-sounding prog metal band with great vocals, great song writing, flawless production. The only people who write in reviews are usually the ones who love the album -- so I was skeptical. Well, since I ordered this CD, it has dominated my player. Excellent!! But you should know...

This CD is not nearly as progressive as others have made it out. I would only call this mildly progressive. Most of the songs are 4/4 (a very creative 4/4, I might add). There are very few solos or instrumental segments, and no players that blow your mind (except the vocalist). However...

This album is all about the vocals and songwriting. They blow you away. This is Landes' best work to date. His vocals carry this album and bolster its songwriting. His voice is incredible -- the timbre, the range, and mostly the genius of the melodies he sings. It's not screaming or gruff, or a falsetto head voice. He has a very distinctive sound and tone that he can change at a whim. He has an incredible range. The display of emotions coming from this mans mouth will grab at your soul. His voice could sell millions of records with the right marketing. One of my favorite male vocalists, now. He uses his voice like an instrument on many cuts. The songwriting is also different. Nothing run-of-the-mill, with the exception of a couple of songs that are sort of generic powermetal (ala Whitesnake), but most of the album is very ORIGINAL and powerful. They don't really sound like anyone else. Very strong writing. You'll listen over and over. While the musicians wont blow you away, they are very good, as well. Particularly the fretless basslines from Randy Coven. This album will appeal to almost anyone who likes prog, powermetal, nu-metal, rock, and great songwriting. Pick it up.