The Gentle Storm

The Gentle Storm is a Dutch musical project by singer and lyricist Anneke van Giersbergen and composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen, founder and leader of other musical projects such as Star One, Ayreon, Guilt Machine and Ambeon. The duo has previously collaborated in Ayreon albums Into the Electric Castle and 01011001. The project's debut album, The Diary, was released on March 23, 2015 in Europe, and the following day in the US.[2][3]

The Gentle Storm
The Gentle Storm live at the 2015 Wacken Open Air. From left to right: Marcela Bovio, Ed Warby, Anneke van Giersbergen and Johan van Stratum
Background information
OriginNetherlands
Genres
Years active2014–present (hiatus since 2016)
LabelsInside Out Music[1]
Associated actsAyreon, VUUR, Stream of Passion, Star One, Guilt Machine, The Gathering
Websitearjenlucassen.com
MembersArjen Anthony Lucassen
Anneke van Giersbergen

History

Formation and The Diary (2014–2016)

The project was unveiled on 22 April 2014 and was described by Lucassen as "an epic double concept album, a combination of 'classical meets metal' and 'acoustic folk'."[2] Lucassen's most recurrent collaborator Ed Warby will be featured once again on drums, and it will be his very first album featuring a double bass among the instruments.[4][5] He confirmed that Johan van Stratum from his former band Stream of Passion would play bass on the album. Also, due to "unforeseen problems", Warby had to re-record all his drum parts in one day only.[6] Other former collaborators will be back, such as Joost van den Broek (piano),[7] Ben Mathot (violin)[8] and Maaike Peterse (cello),[9] along with two new guest instrumentalists: Hinse Mutter (double bass)[10] and Jenneke de Jonge (French horn).[11]

On September 2, 2014, Lucassen revealed that his collaboration with van Giersbergen was actually a new band, called The Gentle Storm. He stated that van Giersbergen would perform live with band next year, possibly ruling himself out of live shows.[12]

On October 10, it was announced at The Gentle Storm's official Facebook profile that the album would be composed of two CDs with the same songs, but recorded in totally different arrangements.[13] CD 1 will be "the 'Gentle' album, [...] all acoustic and folky with lots of exotic instruments", while CD2 will be "the 'Storm' album, [...] an all-out, bombastic orchestral metal album".[13] The post also stated that there would be "plenty of progressive elements mixed in".[13] The post invited fans to ask questions, and some of the answers revealed that the album is set for a March 2015 release,[14] that the band will probably continue if the public reception is good enough[14] and that the concept will be "a historic love-story".[15] On 4 November, the album was revealed to be titled The Diary, with a cover art by Alexandra V. Bach,[16] who also drew the art of A War of Our Own by Stream of Passion, another band started by Arjen, but that continued after he left it.

On January 20, 2015 the project released two lyric videos for both versions of the song "Endless Sea".[17]

The Gentle Storm did a small-scale tour in April 2016, after which Lucassen and Van Giersbergen focused on other projects, including together in the Ayreon Universe series of concerts. Van Giersbergen subsequently created the band VUUR, mostly with live members of The Gentle Storm.

Personnel
Arjen Anthony Lucassen (left, as of 2006) and Anneke van Giersbergen (right, as of 2014); founders of The Gentle Storm
Additional musicians
Live lineup[18]

Discography
Studio albums
EPs

References
  1. "THE GENTLE STORM Featuring ARJEN LUCASSEN, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN: Deal With INSIDEOUT MUSIC Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. "Arjen Lucassen and Anneke van Giersbergen Join Forces in The Gentle Storm". Blabbermouth.net. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  3. "Arjen Lucassen/ Anneke van Giersbergen:Δημιούργησαν τους The Gentle Storm". Metal Hammer Greece (in Greek). TeamRock. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  4. "Ayreon - Ayreon shared Arjen Anthony Lucassen's photo". Facebook. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  5. "Ayreon -I recorded double bass". Facebook. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
  6. "Due to unforeseen problems". Facebook. 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  7. "We've been recording piano for The Gentle Storm with Joost van den Broek". Facebook. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  8. "I've been recording violin for a couple of days with Ben Mathot, and as always he did an AMAZING job! The guy is a one man orchestra". Facebook. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  9. "We recorded cello for the new album with Anneke van Giersbergen, more than ever this time! And as always Maaike delivered the goods". Facebook. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  10. "I recorded double bass for the very first time in my life with the excellent Hinse Mutter for the new album with Anneke van Giersbergen. What a huge monster sound, can't believe I didn't do this years ago". Facebook. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  11. "Yesterday I recorded quite a lot of French Horn for the new album with Anneke. What an amazing epic instrument it is, well done Jenneke!". Facebook. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  12. "The Gentle Storm announcement". Facebook. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
  13. "ARJEN LUCASSEN on THE GENTLE STORM Debut Album - "A Double CD with the Same Songs on Each, But in Very Different Contrasting Arrangements"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  14. "Post at The Gentle Storm's official fanpage". Facebook. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  15. "Post at Ayreon's official fanpage". Facebook. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  16. CROMCarl (4 November 2014). "Artwork For Lucassen/Van Giersbergen Debut "The Diary" Revealed". Metal Underground. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  17. Wenig, Christina (20 January 2015). "Hört hier zuerst den Song 'Endless Sea' von The Gentle Storm". Metal Hammer (in German). Team Rock. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  18. Kielty, Martin (28 November 2014). "The Gentle Storm confirm The Diary release date". Team Rock. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
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