Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Arjen Anthony Lucassen ( born April 3, 1960 in Hilversum, Netherlands) is a rock musician and composer. He was previously involved in more than 40 albums, working on several own projects and was a band member at Vengeance. In his solo projects, he has worked as a composer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and producer and engaged a wide variety of musicians for guest appearances.
Childhood and youth
The 2 meter Arjen Lucassen was born in Hilversum, but grew up in The Hague. After discovering the music of The Sweet, he began playing guitar at the age of 15 years. During his high school years he was in a band that called itself The Flying Potatoes ( The flying potatoes) and played cover versions of The Sweet and Slade. Later he was a guitarist in various short-lived bands and made many new musical experiences. However, due to its fixation on the music school performance subsided so much that he was expelled from school and sent to an institution for maladjusted. There he made his statements.
Solo releases
In 1993 he published under the name Anthony his first solo album Pools Of Sorrow Waves Of Joy, with the Lost In The New Real followed in 2012, a second under his own name.
Projects
Bodine was the first professional band in which Lucassen was fully professionally active as a guitarist.
Other projects that were initiated by him are:
- Vengeance
- Ayreon
- Ambeon
- Star One
- Stream of Passion
- Guilt Machine
Guest musicians
Many musicians of different musical directions have been involved in the songs of Lucassen. Among other things, these were ( in parentheses are the respective "regular " bands specified):
- Mikael Åkerfeldt ( Opeth )
- Russell Allen ( Symphony X)
- Mike Baker ( Shadow Gallery )
- Bob Catley ( Magnum )
- Sharon den Adel ( Within Temptation )
- Andi Deris ( Helloween )
- "Fish" Derek William Dick ( ex- Marillion )
- Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
- Johan Edlund ( Tiamat )
- Heather Findlay ( ex Mostly Autumn )
- Daniel Gildenlöw ( Pain Of Salvation )
- Ken Hensley ( ex- Uriah Heep )
- Timo Kotipelto ( Stratovarius )
- Hansi Kürsch ( Blind Guardian )
- James LaBrie ( Dream Theater )
- Steve Lee ( Gotthard)
- Neal Morse ( ex- Spock 's Beard )
- Clive Nolan (Arena, Shadowland, Pendragon )
- Michael Romeo ( Symphony X)
- Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear )
- Simone Simons ( Epica )
- Jasper Steverlinck ( Arid )
- Devin Townsend ( Strapping Young Lad )
- Anneke van Giersbergen ( ex- The Gathering, Agua de Annique )
- Ed Warby ( Gorefest )
- Gary Weir Kamp ( Shadow Gallery )
- Damian Wilson ( Threshold)
- Floor Jansen ( After Forever )
- Marco Hietala ( Nightwish )
Guest appearances (selection)
Arjen Lucassen has (mostly as a guitarist ) collaborated on many albums as a guest musician.