Lucassen & Soeterboek's Plan Nine - The Long-Lost Songs

It was the early nineties, and musical polymath Arjen Lucassen had begun working on several projects: a solo album, a progressive-rock opera and a rock album. Around this time, he watched singer Robert Soeterboek perform live with Bodine, his former early-eighties heavy metal band. His vocals truly impressed me, a rarity! Lucassen recalls. He had the charisma and power of singers like David Coverdale and Robert Plant. Discovering that we really got along personally, we decided to collaborate on some songs, just for fun.

We started writing songs together and found a natural flow, leading to a wealth of ideas, remembers Soeterboek. Our friendship grew as we spent more time together, and I remember that there were lots of shenanigans and laughter.

The album encapsulates a glorious treasure trove of 11 original songs with a loving 70s and 80s nod. It's a blistering romp through the good time rolling rocker of Let It Ride, the Beatles-esque Doctor Robert's Medicine Show, the bluesy groove of Annie Moore, the chugging glam stomp of High-Speed Chase to the 80s metal of Ice on Fire, whilst The Preacher would fit on a number of Arjen's back catalogue records. The bonus disc features all the demos and some more newly recorded tracks.