AYREONAUTS ONLY

As the title suggests, Ayreonauts Only was only intended for the die-hard Ayreon fan. It contains demos and alternate versions of songs from the Universal Migrator albums. In addition, the last track was a preview song off of Arjen Anthony Lucassen's then-upcoming project called Ambeon. Many of the songs feature different singers than on their corresponding originals.

Guest vocalists include Lana Lane, Damian Wilson, Robert Soeterboek, Ian Parry, Mouse, Gary Hughes, and Leon Goewie, among others. At the time this was released, the most important guest singer to watch out for was Astrid van der Veen. At age 14, she stunned the prog world with her beautiful voice with the Ambeon project release of Fate of a Dreamer the following year. She makes a guest appearance singing an acoustic version of Temple of the Cat and the aforementioned final track called Cold Metal. Cold Metal would appear on the Fate of a Dreamer album and also be released as a single.

Overall, Ayreon fans will love this. However, for everyone else, it is recommended to start with Into the Electric Castle and then other studio efforts. If you get hooked on those, only then should Ayreonauts Only be sought out. Two stars. Collectors and fans only.