AYREON

Another perfect Ayreon musical journey

For me "The Universal Migrator" and "The Human Equation" are one of the best albums ever made and definitely those that made me fall head over heals in love with Arjen Lucassen's music. Therefore I had truly high expectations when "01011001" came out. However, the first impression wasn't what I had hoped at all. For one, the title sucks utter crap and the cover art is pretentious at best. Fortunately it so happens that this is a diamond in the ruff, for behind the ugly exterior it lays a true treasure.

There are many reasons why I find this album to be a masterpiece. First of all it is performed by the strongest line-up ever to be seen on a metal album, secondly the song material is pure awesomeness and thirdly it has the purest and most wonderful production. When I first examined the line-up I was very pleased to find names like Jonas P Renkse, Jorn Lande, Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tom S. Englund (Evergrey) and Daniel Gildenlöv (Pain of Salvation) which are all great singers, but the unquestionably best recruit in my book is my own personal favorite Anneke van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering) who totally owns this album. What wonderful vocals which incidentally fits perfectly with this futuristic progressive metal soundscape!

In the end, one must however admit that the line- up wouldn't have been something to cheer about if it wasn't for the songs, or should I say conceptual journey, this album has to offer. The red thread shines clearer than ever before and makes Tobias Sammet's attempts to create metal operas seem like something carelessly wrapped together (which they for the record are not). The material is varied but at the same time glued together with perfect execution and if it had contained a few more heavy parts, like on the opener "Age of Shadows", it would have been a full pointer if I've ever seen one.

In the end I would say "01011001" is quite on par with "The Universal Migrator" and "The Human Equation", making it one of the best concept albums in the history of metal!

I'll comment and analyze only and solely the lyrics of this work. I advise that there will be lots of spoilers about it. Ayreon is one of the projects of Arjen Lucansen, and he is clearly and inexorably using it to tell one story per album. Something very interesting about these works is that each character is interpretated by one vocalist. On this album, for instance, there are 14 of them. One briliant feature on this story is showing human being as a divided entity/organism. 8 characters are feelings/sentiments that don't form a cohesive totality. On many occasions, the story narrates the clash and tense dialogue between the feelings of a person in a condition very close to death. This transmits an extremely disturbing mood on this man's situation. The reports from his wife, his friend, and some of his own memories, describes him as someone who always owned himself, his life and his ways. So this is completely new to a usually confident and structured personality.

"You've always had complete control, Never thinking twice. You always called the shots, a heart as cold as ice".

When the man recovers part of his conscious, he is completely unaware of everything around him, and doesn't remember what happened. The first sentiment to appear is Fear, telling him "You're alone, no one here is dancing to your tune". Fortunately, his Reason is confident. But Passion is tuned much more to Fear and Agony.

His best friend is there by his side. [Best Friend] "No, I can't seem to accept these strange conditions. No matter what they say, it doesn't feel right". And so is his wife. "[Best Friend] Do you think he'll die? [Wife] I don't think he will".

But the man is alone with his thoughts and feelings, he doesn't here them, and don't even know they exist. Is it possible to face such extreme situation without external psychological support? How to deal with these questioning and pressing internal voice(s)?.

[Agony] "Surrender now, You can't beat death at his ruthless game. Make your bow Hang your head in shame. I am pain. I am real. I'm not a dream. I'm the chain around your neck as you scream".

"[Me] I can't believe this is the end. [Agony] It's written in stone. [Me] Where are my friends? [Agony] You have always been alone!"

The sentiment of Love is very strong. [Love] "You'll find me here whenever they oppose you. I am the strongest of them all No need to fear these feelings that enclose you. I'm here to catch you when you fall [...] You're not alone, I am here dancing to your tune".

How many of us has this confident and robust love to sustain hope on extreme moments? The love for yourself; the love to live.

It's about time I explain that each track is one day of this chronicle; or some events of each day. On fifth day he starts to listen to the voices around, but don't recognize them. However, what they say doesn't make any sense.

On the following days, you, the listener/reader, gets to know more about his story and the story of some of his feelings. Rage is born very early on his life, because of his Dad's pathological competition: making it clear he was better than him, and making him feel embarassed when exposing weakness. School has taught him some knowledge, and also developed his pride to be determined and spiteful. Because other boys mocked and beat him. On these moments Reason wasn't able to make him ponder the contexto and the use of violence.

"[Pride] See that kid, wipe the smile off his face. [Reason] He's just like you, feeling out of place. [Pride] I don't care, let's show him who's boss. [Reason] That's not the way to get your message across".

On the 10th day of this struggle, even though he demonstrates no reaction or change in this clinical status, his best friend and wife keep talking to that inert body. They don't know if something's going on inside him. Medicine, therefore Science, cannot explain why there is no worsening nor improvement. Both remember moments of love, hapiness and overcoming.

Best friend and Pride: Do you recall that day Fearlessly we climbed the highest tower

Wife and Love: Then you became afraid To scared to climb down you stayed up there for hours!

Passion recognizes something here: "Can you see her light, shining through the black. She's reaching out to you; what's holding you back".

Reason also finds an opportunity and direction now: "Can you feel her warmth glowing on your skin?! Don't repress the memories, let them all in..."

When we think or talk about illness or death, it's almost aumtomatic that the first reaction of our imagination is to picture the body in a war against some disease, and/or the aging of the organismo. But the lyrics on this album, at this point, can lead you to another perception about this process. Perhaps there is also, or maybe exclusively, a psychological conflict; after all, "there is nothing physically wrong", according to the doctor. From the "dark crypts of his soul" the foundations of some of his feelings resurface. Emerging from her mother's isolation after her husband's departure, Agony develops roots: "She went through a life of deprivation. She depends on you, her only son."

After her passing, the ghost of this maternal image and tale remains in the shadows of Fear: with her voice crying out "Where were you, son, when I needed you? Is this your thanks for all the warmth I gave you despite my suffering?"

By this moment in my analysis, it seems coherent to say that the story is not continuous, much less linear. Nor is it completely clear at what time, or from what period, the events are being exposed. I appreciate this approach and method. First, because of the challenge it represents, and second, because it forces the reader/listener to pay attention and think about possible connections and meanings to put the pieces of the puzzle together. There is also another possible advantage to this approach: it can leave some questions, statements and narrative lines open. Well, in the last tracks the lyrics fulfill the function of tying up some loose ends. It was the choice of whoever composed the lyrics - I didn't particularly like it.

On the 17th day the track is called "Accident". It's when the wife reveals, after a period of denial in the face of the "hero's" questionings, that there was an exchange of affection with his best friend. And he, in turn, who was jobless and alone, also gave himself to her. The lyrics in these tracks converge to defend, even in the face of this situation, this tension, an optimistic vision of love. Because after a series of outbursts from everyone, the hero returns to life, willing to love his wife. Happy end.

This is truly a fabulous, full-bodied, intense and profound story about the ways to consider the complexity of human being's and relationships. Top-notch. 4.5 of 5 stars.

Review Nº 753

"Ayreonauts Only" is a compilation album of the Dutch Arjen Anthony Lucassen released inside his Ayreon project. It was released in 2000. As Arjen explains on the back cover of the CD, "Ayreonauts Only" isn't a new Ayreon's album. It has unreleased versions of known Ayreon's songs, home demos and new recorded songs sung by different singers.

"Ayreonauts Only" has eleven tracks. This new versions were originally released on some Ayreon's albums, the albums that were released till the time when this compilation album was released. So, we have here tracks from "The Final Experiment", "Actual Fantasy", "Into The Electric Castle", "Universal Migrator, Part 1: The Dream Sequencer" and "Universal Migrator, Part 2: Flight Of The Migrator". We have also a track that would be released on his Ambeon project.

"Into The Black Hole" is from "Flight Of The Migrator". It was sung on that album by Bruce Dickinson. This is a previous unreleased version. It was sung by Damian Wilson. Arjen wanted Bruce to sing it, but he was busy at the moment. As Damian was available, Arjen recorded the first version with him. So, this is another great version of the song. "Out Of The White Hole" is from "Flight Of The Migrator". It was sung on that album by Timo Kotipelto. This is an unreleased version that was sung by an old friend of Arjen and a usual companion, Robert Soeterboek. The interesting thing with this version is that it's completely different from the version of that album due to the different voices of both vocalists. "Through The Wormhole" is from "Flight Of The Migrator". It was sung on that album by Fabio Lione. This is an unreleased version that was sung by another friend and companion of Arjen from the time of Vengeance, Ian Parry. As happened with the previous version on this compilation, this is another different version due to the different both voices. "Carpe Diem (Chaos)" is from "Flight Of The Migrator". This is a previously unreleased home demo of 1992 by Arjen with a drum computer. Arjen thought that it was a bit heavier to an Ayreon's album. Later he decided to change it adding the vocals from Lana Lane and real drums. It's interesting to hear but it isn't as good as the track "Chaos" on that album. "Temple Of The Cat" is from "The Dream Sequencer". This is a previously unreleased acoustic version. It was sung on that album by Jacqueline Govaert. This newly version was sung by Astrid Van Der Veen, the vocalist of Ambeon. This is a great version of the song. I can agree with Arjen. This acoustic version sounds even better than the version on that album. "Original Hippie's Amazing Trip" is from "Into The Electric Castle". This is a previous unreleased version that was sung by Mouse. Due to some unexpected problems, it wasn't possible to use his vocals on the version of that album. So, Arjen decided to sing that track. Despite both versions being good, it's interesting to hear what would be the original version for that album. "Beyond The Last Horizon" is from "Actual Fantasy". This is a newly recorded version from 2000. Originally, it was sung by Edward Reekers as the main vocalist. As Arjen became a bit unhappy with the original version, he decided to re-record it with Gary Hughes on vocals. This is a better version that is closer to the original idea of Arjen. "The Charm Of The Seer" is from "The Final Experiment". This is a previously unreleased home demo of 1994 by Arjen with a drum computer. The version on that album was sung by Ruud Houweling. The version on "Ayreonauts Only" was sung by Arjen. It's maybe less good than the original, but it's interesting enough to listen to. "Eyes Of Time" is from "The Final Experiment". This is a previous unreleased studio version. The version on that album was sung by Lenny Wolf. Anyway, Arjen tried six different vocalists to this song. But, he also liked the version of his former Vengeance band member, Leon Goewie. This is another interesting version, a different way of singing this song. "Nature's Dance" is from "The Final Experiment". This is a previously unreleased home demo version of 1994 acoustic version by Arjen. It was also sung by Arjen but on the album's version his voice was processed through a rotating speaker of a Hammond organ. In this version there aren't any effects. It's a polished version that is nice to listen to. "Ambeon: Cold Metal" is from "Fate Of A Dreamer". It was sung by Astrid Van Der Veen, the vocalist of Ambeon. At the time this was recorded, the album had not yet been released. This is a great song sung by an amazing female vocalist.

Conclusion: As I mentioned above, "Ayreonauts Only" isn't a new Ayreon's work, but it isn't also a vulgar compilation album, a kind of a best of Ayreon. That became very clear when Arjen told us that in the back cover of the CD. So, all of we who had the opportunity of buying "Ayreonauts Only" (it was released as a limited edition), can never say that we have been cheated. Arjen never did that. This is one of the reasons why he has a very faithful and loyal bunch of fans. "Ayreonauts Only" is a very nice and enjoyable trip thru the universe of Ayreon till that date, but it's a bit different trip from what we knew before. In my case, I knew perfectly well already all Ayreon's albums, but in spite of that it was with great pleasure that I checked all these tracks performed in a different way. It was a great complement and I'm sure that all those who bought it are pleased with it. The material here is quite interesting and good. So, I'm gonna give it 3 stars.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Ayreon its musical brainchild Arjen Lucassen lived for a long period in my hometown The Hague, there he played with hardrock formation Bodine between 1982 and 1984. Then he was asked to join another hardrock band, the very popular and known Vengeance. It turned out to be a very succesful move but also a very exhausting experience, embracing sex, drugs and rock and roll in an extreme way. After he had left and got depressed Arjen finally returned to Vengeance in 1992, for a farewell tour, with the good money he started his own project resulting in Ayreon. In 1995 he released the debut album entitled The Final Experiment, featuring excellent guest musicians, from Cleem Determeijer and Peter Vink (both Finch) to Robby Valentine and famous Golden Earring singer Barry Hay. The dynamic and tasteful blend of Heavy Progressive, folk and melodic rock was received very well by the national and international music press, with good sales. From that moment gradually it started to work for Ayreon, and eventually he turned into the best selling current prog artist in The Netherlands!

Looking back at his 10 Ayreon studio releases (between 1995 and 2020) I am still mostly pleased with his third release Into The Electric Castle. Also because I did an interview with him, just before that release, in 1998. At his huge farmhouse in the forests he showed me his extensive vinyl collection, told me about the influences of Led Zeppelin, Hawkwind, The Beatles and Pink Floyd, demonstrated how he worked in his high-tec studio and which instruments he used (from a 12-string acoustic guitar to Nord Lead Mellotron samples). And in his living room was a huge painting that had become the cover of the Into The Electric Castle album, mindblowing, a kind of gothic Roger Dean-like art.

But back to the music on Into The Electric Castle, in my opinion here is the best balance between Heavy Prog, folk and melodic rock, and for me the compositions are the most elaborate. The colouring with a wide range of instruments is very tasteful, from lush vintage keyboards (Hammond organ, Minimoog synthesizer and the ubiquitous Mellotron) and heavy guitar work to the mellow sound of flute, acoustic guitars and the sultry Indian sitar. The tracks frequently alternate between dreamy climates, up-tempo beats and sumptuous outbursts (creating lots of tension and dynamics), topped with inspired contributions by guest musicians Fish, Sharon Den Adel, Damian Wilson, Clive Nolan, Ton Scherpenzeel en Thijs Van Leer. Especailly Arjen his choice to embellish the compositions with different singers is great, it has worked out very well, and although Fish was not always an easy person to collaborate his vocals as The Highlander are wonderful, like the best in his Marillion era!

During my interview with Arjen he impressed me as a humorous, smart and welcoming person. During my Into The Electric Castle sessions Arjen impresses me as a skilled and creative musician, and as an excellent composer, incorporating different musical styles into The Majestic Ayreon sound, an absolute highlight in Dutch prog history, along the best of Dutch prog legends Focus, Earth & Fire and Kayak, wow!

Highly recommended, I am sure it will appeal to many progheads.

SAIL AWAY TO AVALON is the first EP released by Ayreon. It contains 4 tracks with a total length of 15 min.

1. Sail Away to Avalon is from the debut album 'The Final Experiment' but a bit shorter here. It starts with synth then guitars come in. I like the harpsichord inclusion, it adds to the feel of the song, nice female vocals here and there. The flute in quieter moments is a good touch. Everything ends with a sound of water waves. (7/10)

2. Charm of the Seer is also shorter than the original version. Very theatrical performance on the vocal part. Some interesting guitar motifs and admirable melodic accompaniment by female vocals till the end of the track. (7/10)

3. Nature's Dance is a demo. Starts (and finishes) with the sound of wind, unlike the original, which begins with bird chirping. The song is very relaxing and pleasant due to the acoustic part.(6,5/10)

4. Eyes of Time contains synth melodies full of eastern feel and the most emotional vocal performance on here. An intetesting guitar solo before 3rd minute. A nice way to end the EP. (7,5/10)

This single showcases some moments from Ayreon's first release (a selection of good songs, if you ask me). As I expected, it did not showcase the full concept behind 'The Final Experiment'. Do I consider this essential? Not really... That is why I give it 3 stars (although 3.5 would be more accurate) based on the overall experience.

When I think of greats in the modern day Prog era it is impossible to ignore this album. In fact it sticks out like a sore thumb and I can't stop thinking about it. While Ayreon brings in a lot of talent and great artists that make it difficult not to purchase an album it can also be hit and miss. The Human Equation is a masterpiece!

James Labrie is the perfect leading role for this album. Operatic and theatrical at the same time. Incredible freakish vocal range that can match the rest of the cast on demand. He can really put in emotion in to the feelings that go into the story. He really shows a side of versatility here that he can't show on many Dream Theater albums being a lead singer almost all of the time.

Marcela Bovio is really impressive. I'm really surprised she hasn't gotten the recognition she deserves. And to know she is not only a really good singer but also a really good musician and multi-instrumentalist. She really matches James Labrie really well with her own unique style.

Eric Clayton is fantastic. Think opera and David Bowie rolled into one.

Of course Heather Findlay who is the perfect folk singer and perhaps the best folk singer ever? If Joni Mitchell was a professionally trained phenomenon. That's probably the best way to describe Heather Findlay.

Mikael Åkerfeldt is another great singer. I'm sure the death growls throughout his career have polarized many. I always wondered how much more Opeth I would have listened to or got through had he sang like he does on this album and abandoned the growling entirely. To each his own I guess.

Interesting concept about a man being in a coma after a car accident only to reflect on regrets and wishing he could fix everything and his thoughts of second chances. I think almost every human being could resonate with the lyrics of this album one way or another. We all have regrets, make mistakes, habits we need to break, and things from the past that haunt us we desperately want to put behind us. The lyrics on this album really hit me personally. I don't know just how many Prog albums I can connect to like this one. I was in multiple accidents that should have taken my life so this album becomes that more personal.

Really love the character development throughout the storyline. Childhood to present. I can go on and on with the storyline and concept of this album but than I need to get out how great the music is. The music is fantastic. More Prog than Prog Metal but a great blend of both. Everything from Folk, Celtic, Classical, Rock Opera, etc, and a few different crossovers of different styles of Prog. Much of what you love about Dream Theater and Mostly Autumn. Also much of what you love from the Progressive Rock classics from the 70's. I feel like this album has something for everyone who loves Prog. Very accessible to Prog fans especially.

The quality and musicianship is everything and better you would expect from Ayreon. In this case this is difficult not to list it among the greats. Almost everything you get from this album is top notch and it's as memorable as anything else that made you a Prog fan in the first place. Revered by many and for a great number of reasons.

This album is like a union between two of Arjen Lucassen's inner universes, and personally, it is my favorite album of all those created by my favorite Prog musician.

This album is the fusion between Ayreon and Star One. Ayreon's albums have always been characterized for being great metal operas, with excellent first level singers, and very melodic music. To this, in The Source we have to add a little more powerful music, more heavy metal, which is one of the hallmarks that usually differentiate Star One's albums.

The combination is simply sublime, and the whole first CD of the album is full of sublime songs. Really impressive. Maybe, to put a little negative note somewhere, the second part of the album is a step below in terms of songs, but nevertheless it is still a 10 work, and possibly an album that Arjen Lucassen is going to have a very hard time surpassing.

I consider the debut album by Ayreon to be something of a breakthrough in the progressive metal category: The level of majesty, classical music inspiration married with tons of modern synths, great cast of vocals and last but not least, ambitious sci-fi concept topics. All this called - metal opera.

The debut album has a surprising name "The final experiment" which should however not be linked to the status of music on it.

The vocalists on this album aren't as top-rated as it would appear on further releases but that doesn't mean that vocal performance isn't one of the top elements to be heard. There is a variety of sounds, motives and moods with some excellent melodies. I don't care about anything beyond music so whatever lyrics or topics are addressed.

You may be blown away when it's your first Ayreon album; however future releases have better instrumental execution and better songwriting. As each modern rock opera, it is fascinating how many different styles can be melted together, we have for example a folky minstrel followed by an anthemic "Sail away to Avalon" where bass synths but also elaborate guitar arrangements with excellent female/male vocals please many fans.

I rate this album with 3.5 stars - it is a really mature debut album and its level of complexity, sound quality is above a common progressive metal album.

If you hate bombastic neo-prog, 80s-esque metal, and cheesy Wakeman-like concept albums, then you should stay far away from Ayreon. But I happen to like all those things. It's almost a guilty pleasure, but this is a very fun album. Unusual for an Ayreon album, this album features multiple singers "playing" the same character. Highlights include "The Banishment", "Sail Away to Avalon", and "Computer Reign". Lucassen sings on three songs, and they are all very good. I like his voice better than some of the people he gets to guest, it's a shame he doesn't sing more often. If you want "serious art" look elsewhere, but this is certainly a fine addition to any prog rock collection.

Review Nº 508

"The Source" is the tenth studio album of Ayreon, the musical project by the Dutch songwriter, producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen and was released in 2017. As happened with all Ayreon's albums, this is also a conceptual album with each character is being portrayed by only one singer. However, being released four years after their previous album "The Theory Of Everything", "The Source" marks a return to science fiction and the Ayreon's storyline. It acts, in particular, as a prequel to "01011001", making of it the first album in the storyline's chronology.

The concept of the story in "The Source" is about a race named Alphans, which were the ancestors of the humanity. They were trying to prevent the extinction of their race due to problems such as the greenhouse effect. They were increasingly dependent on machines. To solve the problem, they decided to resort the complex of machines that kept the planet running, ('Frame), to can solve those problems that affected the planet Alpha. But 'Frame determined that the problem lied with humanity itself and they took the control and decided to shut down vital systems to let everyone dies. Inhabitants decided to send a select of few Alphans into space so they could attempt to start anew in a distant world.

And as is usual in almost all Ayreon's albums, Lucassen composed all the music and wrote all the lyrics on the entire album with the exception of one part, the Mike Mills' lyrics and melodies which were wrote by both, Mills and Lucassen.

The line up on "The Source" is divided into vocalists and instrumentalists, as is usual. The vocalists are: James LaBrie as "The Historian", Tommy Karevik as "The Opposition Leader", Tommy Rogers as "The Chemist", Simone Simons as "The Counselor", Nils K. Rue as "The Prophet", Tobias Sammet as "The Captain", Hansi Kürsch as "The Astronomer", Mike Mills as "TH-1", Russel Allen as "The President", Michael Eriksen as "The Diplomat", Floor Jansen as "The Biologist", Zaher Zorgatti as "The Preacher" and Will Shaw, Wilmer Waarbroek, Jan Willem Ketelaars and Lisette Van Den Berg as "The Ship Crew". The instrumentalists are: Arjen Anthony Lucassen (electric and acoustic guitars and all other instruments), Joost Van Den Broek (grand piano and electric piano), Mark Kelly (synthesizer), Paul Gilbert (guitar), Guthrie Govan (guitar), Marcel Coenen (guitar), Maaike Peterse (cello), Ben Mathot (violin), Jeroen Goossens (flute and wind instruments) and as is usual, the great Dutch friend of Lucassen, Ed Warby (drums).

"The Source" has four lengthy parts, four chronicles, "The 'Frame", "The Aligning Of The Ten", "The Transmigration" and "The Rebirth". Each part is divided into various segments. Each part has about twenty minutes for a total of almost one hour and a half of music. With the exception of the opening track, "The Day That The World Breaks Down", which goes beyond twelve minutes, the rest of the compositions varies between three and seven minutes, a characteristic that makes the album more dynamic, facilitating the assimilation of the all work. But at no time it aims to be unreachable for uninitiated listeners. The mixing and mastering of the work are also worth mentioning, delivering a current sound, of course, but with timbres that do not hide inspiration in the best moments in the history of prog, a genre that has always excelled for technical excellence in the most varied aspects. Even though all songs are great, the particularly strong opener "The Day That The World Breaks Down" must be pointed as the highlight on the album. The track is more than twelve minutes long which is almost twice as long as the second longest song. The song includes atmospheric sound samples that set the tone right from the start. Eleven of the thirteen guest singers appear in the song and shine in their different parts. Especially James LaBrie's soothing vocals that open the album work very well. After the opening track, the album follow their path with many amazing parts, such as, powerful riffs, upbeat drum passages and distinctive bass guitar lines. The keyboard melodies give to the album an epic science-fiction atmosphere. Numerous short instrumental passages give the listener a welcome break from the vocals. Some middle parts include some majestic choirs. Many passages on the album end in a powerful manner and yet manage to develop a great transition to the next songs that some are much calmer and clearly more focused on inspirations from acoustic, classical and folk music.

Conclusion: As happen with all Ayreon's releases, it will take multiple listens to digest "The Source". But, it worth all the time invested. Overall, "The Source" is a safe variation of the established Ayreon formula, but it's also comforting to see how well said formula is still able to be pulled off. It's epic, it's heavy, it's symphonic, and it's bombastic, all things that I love about Ayreon. The vocals are really outstanding, as usual. Vocalists shine, every last one of them, everyone bringing their style to make this album even more unique. From the instrumental work, the performances, the lyrics, the story line, the production, the design of the cover artwork and the booklet, this album is fully convincing. Overall, this is a strong musical outing, without any weak points. I can only recommend this album to everyone who loves great music.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)