For those who are currently unfamiliar with Stream of Passion, they are a Dutch Metal band that also incorporates traits of symphonic and progressive elements within their musical sphere. Having formed in 2005, they have released four studio and one live album. Following their break-up from writing and performing in 2016, they reformed in 2022 and have now produced their first new offering, the EP Beautiful Warrior. As a band, this is the same lineup that recorded the Darker Days and A War Of Our Own albums.
Stream Of Passion – Beautiful Warrior EP
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Adrian Stonley
Beautiful Warrior contains everything that anyone could love about Stream Of Passion. It enthuses and flows with passion (forgive the pun), tight, strong musicianship and a strong, beautiful lyrical flow. There are five songs contained in the EP, and they all bring different elements of Stream Of Passion’s musical approach to the fore.
Starting with The Hunter this is a glorious piece of symphonic style Metal, with strong riffs and catchy hooks throughout. Starting with a gentle keyboard introduction, the piece takes hold rapidly as the guitars drive in before Marcela Bovio provides a catchy melodic chorus line.
This is a tune that has musical rise and fall, hard-driving rock, interspersed with gentle reflections before building the intensity again and clearly showcases that Stream Of Passion has lost none of their songwriting abilities. Clearly ready to make a statement that they are back with a vengeance.
Tonight follows in a similar vein. Though lacking the intensity of The Hunter, this is a beautifully crafted song which allows Marcela’s haunting vocals to drift through, building emotion around the piece as well as showcasing her awesome vocal ability.
It is a song about rising up, not being downtrodden and fighting back. It is a song with a simmering energy, yet a beautiful balance between the vocals and the strength of the band behind, providing musical deference to the vocals.
Chasing A Ghost is one of the more enigmatic songs on the EP. Sung in both Marcela’s native Spanish as well as in English, she switches languages with ease. It has a positive message with the statement piece “Our Time Will Come,” calling out defiance.
This is a song in which all band members have the opportunity to showcase their own individual dexterity within the context of the group. Whether it is the driving drums that the tune sits on, the keys creating a melodic drift, or the guitar solos which soar, bringing the piece to a crescendo, proving that a solo can be just as impressive and important to the song through the application of fewer, but more harmonious notes, and that fast and furious shredding is not always a necessity to make a musical point.
The End Is The Beginning has a delicate keyboard refrain that interweaves throughout the song, which lends it a haunting feel. Again, this is a tune that has a distinctive and strong message, with the line of “I can’t live without her” being powerfully delivered to raise the piece to a higher level.
The final song on the EP is The Promise, which musically builds from the delivery of The End Is The Beginning and comes over as an incredible power ballad.
Starting with a soft piano introduction, Marcela’s vocals wistfully drift over. As the song builds, each instrument starts to weave its way into the tune. First, the drums provide a brooding and dark beat that just underlies the main theme before the guitars kick in, driving the melody of the piece. The vocals ratchet up to take the song to the next level.
There is a clear message that runs throughout the songs on this EP relating to winning over adversity, fighting back, being strong and overcoming that which would try to bring you down or inflict negativity and/or pain.
Clearly, it has been written from the heart and is very personal to the band. They are wearing their hearts on their sleeves with this release, and this outpouring of hope over adversity provides a powerful message.
This is a very strong return by Stream Of Passion and hints at more exciting developments to come in the future. Let’s hope that there will be an album shortly to follow this up and then show the world what the reinvigorated Stream Of Passion are all about.
For more details, visit streamofpassion.com.
Stream Of Passion
Marcela Bovio – lead vocals, violin
Johan van Stratum – bass
Eric Hazebroek – lead/rhythm guitar
Stephan Schultz – lead/rhythm guitar
Jeffrey Revet – keyboards, synthesizers, piano
Martijn Peters – drums
