Sun Caged [Import]

Sun Caged [Import]

Track Listings

1. Sedation

2. Sun Caged

3. Home

4. Soil

5. Hollow

6. Closing In

7. The Eighth Day

8. Secrets Of Flight

9. Unchanging

Sun Caged,Sun Caged,Avalon,Heavy Metal

Artemisia
Average customer rating:

Excellent Follow-Up To A Classic Debut

Same guitarist, different band - still great.

Artemisia
Sun Caged
Manufacturer: Lion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sun Caged

ASIN: B000O76UMG
Release Date: 2007-04-09

Tracks:

Lyre's Harmony
Fair Trade
Unborn
Bloodlines
Painted Eyes
Afraid To Fly
Dialogue
Departing Words
Doldrums

Album Description

Back with a virtually new line-up, yet a musical nod to the past, Sun Caged return with Artemisia, their second album and four years after their self titled debut. Since the debut the band have seen almost wholesale changes in personnel with only guitarist and band founder Marcel Coenen remaining from the debut. Yet the typical Sun Caged sound is still present, if anything even richer with even more different sounds and styles than heard on the debut. The new band members and Coenen have delved deep to deliver an album that acts on creative impulses, without limiting themselves to the standard bag of tricks often heard in the progressive genre. Artemisia delivers an album full of unstoppable vocal melody, virtuoso guitar work, odd time signatures and complex chord sequences all topped off with an ultra powerful production. Lion Music. 2007.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Follow-Up To A Classic Debut.......2007-04-30

Sun Caged is a progressive metal band from the Netherlands, featuring the extraordinary guitar skills of Marcel Coenen. The band's self-titled debut was released on Lion Music in 2003 to much critical acclaim....many felt that it was the single best prog-metal album since Dream Theater's "Images And Words".

After struggling with many lineup changes, necessitating a lengthy space between releases, Sun Caged returns with a solid and polished follow-up to their first disc, which any fan of progressive metal and first-rate musicianship will love.

Full of intricate riffing, lengthy and epic compositions, amazing "dueling" solos and interplay between keyboards and guitar, and powerful vocals in the classic prog-metal style....there is a lot to like (and a lot to digest) in this latest Sun Caged release. I do think, however, that I enjoyed the previous vocalist's style a bit more, and that the production tends to be a bit flat, with the guitars a bit too low in the mix, alongside multi-tracked, oversaturated vocals. That having been said, this is an amazing album, which definately showcases Coenen's amazing skills as a progressive guitarist- my hat is off to him for persevering after setbacks to release such a great album.....

Same guitarist, different band - still great........2007-03-27

Sun Caged's debut album was so amazing that the band found an immediate cult following upon its release. Its strong mix of classic prog metal with sprinkles of fusion a la Liquid Tension Experiment and wild, crushing riffage in the style of Meshuggah and Cynic established them as a very promising band. However, due to various problems, all members except guitarist Marcel Coenen left the band, mostly forming their own projects. So it took quite a while for Coenen to recruit new members, as all previous musicians were simply top-notch and very hard to replace. The search took long, especially finding a good vocalist, but finally, after almost four years, the second Sun Caged album is out.

Artemisia features American vocalist Paul Adrian Villarreal at the helm, and he proves quite different from the previous vocalist Andre Vuurboom. Whereas Vuurboom sang in a more conventional prog metal style on the self-titled debut, he was able to convey all kinds of emotions from fear to rage to desperation easily in a sound not too unlike Ray Alder and James Labrie. Villarreal has a much different approach to singing; he harmonises a lot more with his vocals, always backing himself up during the choruses and even pre-choruses. Also, he uses plenty of wordless vocal harmonies, mostly after drawn-out, mind-bending instrumental passages. That said, he tends to stay in a safe melodic range through most of the album, rarely opting for aggressive, off-the-wall phrasing. That's not to say, however, he isn't capable of these styles, as the brief yet thundering semi-growled vocal part on the instrumental "Engelbert the Inchworm" is more brutal than anything Coenen has ever released. Villarreal's vocals carry a nice warmth to them, which really come through on the more laidback parts and will therefore connect easily with fans of melodic prog metal who also like a good dose of musical dexterity.

Musically, the elements that perfected their debut album are still present, though in a slightly more refined context. This album isn't quite as in-your-face as its predecessor, which I believe stems from the contribution of the new members. Coenen's playing showcases more restraint, but he still does cut loose and grace the pieces with his amazing sweeps and tapping harmonics. On the first song "Lyre's Harmony", a track which does a good job introducing the new guys, Coenen doesn't jump forward until the ending when the piece calls for a guitar solo. It begins with deft keyboards, sparse and well timed drum beats, and some effect-laden vocal bits before crunching rhythm guitars and keys drive the song to its inevitable climax, giving way to sweet solo performances from each member: the bass, the keys, the guitars, and then it's Coenen throwing in a sweet tapping lick whilst Villarreal's vocals are doubled - it's a great ending.

"A Fair Trade" stands out for its catchy main chorus, but this is far from a conventional melodic metal song. The riffage here has Coenen's massive riffing on the debut, backed by sturdy bass, and ethereal keyboards. Rene Kroon has done the impossible by replacing Joost van der Broek, as he is equally competent and does a great contribution to this record. I especially love his vintage keyboard exercises, much like the one on "A Fair Trade" and "Blood Lines" recalling the masters of the 70's. On the former, he is followed by the bass and guitars respectively, but it's again the lead solo at the end that complements the awesome vocal melody. The last couple of seconds of the piece are pure jazz: improvised guitar work is surrounded by a sweet keyboard patch.

The Meshuggah-styled riffery of "Unborn" is pure, unadulterated technical prog and will disprove anyone who thinks Sun Caged has softened up. While this album may not be as heavy as the debut, the heavier parts on this one totally slay. The tight drumming by Roel Van Helden (this guy is amazing!) and intricate bass lines plow through odd-time signatures only to be capped by Kroon's tasty synth dynamics. The soloing on this piece is beyond what the human mind can grasp on first listen, and Villarreal's wordless vocal melodies perfectly solidify this masterpiece. On the ballad "Afraid to Fly", albeit a bit long, and the melodic "Painted Eyes", the vocals are central, even though both tracks do contain nifty instrumentation. "Afraid to Fly" could actually also be on Coenen's previous solo album Colour Journey.

"Diaologue" constantly moves from heavy to slow, and the transition riff in between the sections is a lot like Pain of Salvation circa Entropia. Once again with lots of harmonised vocals, the keyboard solo is another highlight. Also worth mentioning is the sitar playing by Coenen's former Lemur Voice band mate Barend Tromp, lending the stomping track a somewhat eastern vibe, also thanks to the rhythmic percussion.

Like Aghora, another band whose sophomore album took years to see the light of day, Sun Caged are back, though slightly different than before. Fans of melodic prog such as Dali's Dilemma or Threshold during Extinct Instinct should grab this album immediately. The production is amazing, very warm and crisp, and the melodies are certainly going to appeal to many a listener. If you really like the heavier material on this album, you need to check out Freak Neil Inc., the band of former Sun Caged bassist Rob van der Loo, and for darker material there is always Andre Vuurboom's new band Sphere of Souls, both of which are also on Lion Music.

Average customer rating:

Sun Caged

Manufacturer: Dark Matter Distribution
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DJ26Z
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Album Description

A progressive metal masterpiece from Holland's finest band in this genre to date. Killer production, fantastic songs & superb performances. Progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theater, Ayreon, & Symphony X. Lion Music.

Average customer rating:

Artemisia
Sun Caged
Manufacturer: Avalon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000P0I926
Release Date: 2007-06-04

Tracks:

Lyre S Harmony
Fair Trade
Unborn
Bloodlines
Painted Eyes
Engelbert The Inchworm
Afraid To Fly
Dialogue
Departing Words
Doldrums
Land Of Confusion (Bonus Track)

Average customer rating:

Amazing full-length from Sun Caged!

Sun Caged
Sun Caged
Manufacturer: Avalon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000QX3FI
Release Date: 2003-12-01

Tracks:

Sedation
Sun Caged
Home
Soil
Hollow
Closing In
The Eighth Day
Secrets Of Flight
Unchanging

Customer Reviews:

Amazing full-length from Sun Caged!.......2003-12-16

Even though you may not have heard of Sun Caged before, they're not new-comers! Their amazing guitarist Marcel Coenen has played in various bands, the most important one being the melodic prog metal act Lemur Voice from the Netherlands. They released two albums, both of which were incredible CDs, but disbanded due to poor promo and lack of support. Also, Sun Caged's (new) singer Andre Vuurboom sang in a number of bands (I am familiar with his early-90's band Imperium). The other guys in the band are relatively younger, but incredibly talented!!! Dennis Leeflang, the drummer, is one of the co-founders of the band and despite his young age he is a magnificent drummer! He certainly doesn't fit the typical "prog drummer" category; he has a very laid back sound, entering the songs only when necessary, never going too much over the top. He is also one of the most down to earth and coolest guys I've had the chance to talk to online. He even sent me a copy of their previous EP Dominion a few years ago and it was then that I first realised this band had a lot of potential and would one day hit it big. It took some time till they found their steady line-up and a good record label for a full-length album. And what an album it is! To save you reading from a long and very detailed review, I'll only say this: The self-titled debut album from Sun Caged is one of the best prog metal albums of 2003, possibly my favourite!

For those of you who have heard the Dominion EP with former singer Sascha and their Dream Theater cover tune "Caught In A Web" with a female singer, be prepared for a more prog-driven Sun Caged on this CD. Their new singer Andre is more in the league of singers like Ray Alder, Geoff Tate, and a younger James Labrie, whereas Sascha was more of a Mercury/Dickinson type of singer. The rhythm work, both in Marcel's guitars and Rob's bass, is very reminiscent of Meshuggah, who is obviously a big influence of the band. Marcel Coenen's talent needs no explanation. He is a real guitar freak! I really like the articulation in his playing, very technical with some killer runs on the fretboard and unbelievable sweeping. The bass work is really crunchy, very prominent, very solid. Sun Caged seems to put emphasis on their rhythm work very much and the result is marvelous. It would be pointless to liken the sound of the band to others, but I will still mention the monumental Fates Warning, I&W-era Dream Theater, the instrumental wizardy of Liquid Tension Experiment, the technical craziness of Meshuggah, the perfectly balanced song arrangements of Ayreon, and the jazzy touch of Cynic lest you get (part of) the picture. Now think of a band that combines all these elements with their own identity and puts out a very dense, poignant, and progressive release. That's the sound of Sun Caged. A truly talented band with a very promising future. I don't know how they are going to top this one, but if they could create this one, they could even create something that surpasses it.

The mastermind behind Ayreon and Star One, Arjen Lucassen, mixed this CD. So if anyone has ever listened to an Ayreon disc, they will know that this album sound-wise is perfect. Please note that this is the first CD Lucassen has ever mixed. He probably thought that a great record like this needed to be recorded accordingly. The dynamics of the album are flawless, there's a wide range of sounds, very detailed and precise. The first couple of times vocalist Andre reminded me of a younger Labrie, however with each listen I was more and more drawn to the Tate/Alder comparisons. He sings the upper registers effectively and effortlessly, though he doesn't necessarily tend to show off his range every opportunity he gets. That's something I really admire. Marcel Coenen, too, despite his rich vocabulary on his guitar, only shreds if the song calls for it. The melodic and fiery guitar solo in the title track is one of the most shocking and beautiful solos I've heard in a long time. I also love the chorus in this track. "Sedation" borrows some LTE elements and the song is quite representative of Sun Caged's style displaying various elements in their music. "Closing In" and "The Eighth Day" feature some killer rolls and fills from Dennis. I would have loved to hear more of those. Each song offers all the musicians plenty of room to prove they're masters of their instruments, but it's always meticulously done within the context of the song. Very mature. The keyboards are a cross between Moore era DT/LTE. Joost both adds atmosphere and sharp keyboard solos from time to time. He is not too high in the mix, but his presence is always felt heavily.

2003 has been a bad year in terms of prog metal. Dream Theater's new album was practically the only thing that caught progheads' attention, and it's been getting lots of mixed reviews. (Redemption is another release that comes to mind.) Here is your chance to hear something different. Far heavier and technical than the average prog albums coming out these days. Pick it up and hear for yourself.

Sun Caged
Average customer rating:
Sun Caged
Sun Caged
Manufacturer: Lion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000LWV826

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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