UNIVERSAL MIGRATOR, PART 1: THE DREAM SEQUENCER

Ayreon at their peak of the popularity with this two Universal migrator parts released in 2000. First part - Universal migrator - The dream sequencer is the mellow one , the more atmospheric and moody release from the two - the other one is the rougher and a litlle more faster than the first part.. I have to mention the impressive list of musicians on both parts, a line up hard to beat. The music here is gloomy, melancholic, with each musician puted his own identity in the piece, so a diverse album in a way, but some parts are a little boring, specialy the middle of the album. The first 3 tracxks are the best, showing that Lucassen know bussines in composing prog music, but aswell the musicians invited have an important role in giving a certain groove to the album as a whole. John Edlund from Tiamat did a great job on My house on mars, very dark, melancholic , his voice fits ok in this kind of aproach, Lana Lane did also some fantastic parts on 2084, I realy like her voice a lot, here or on her solo albums, almost everywhere she sung is brilliant, she has such an unique vocal range, good piece. Some strong list of musician like Clive Nolan, Erik Norlander, Damian Wilson who is brilliant on And The Druids Turn To Stone, his voice is so strong and well developed and one of the best singers in prog metal for sure, and the list can go on with some very talented named from this zone. Some weaker parts in the middle of the album, pieces like The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B Cocq, Dragon On The Sea,Temple Of The Cat, Carried By The Wind are little boring with out many variety and sometimes to mellow. I found myself somewhat uncomfortable to listen to these pieces, because the atmosphere as a whole is relativly flat and strange, nothing realy intresting in contrast with the rest. So the music here goes from parts ala Alan Parson Project, specially on the beggiining of the album, some PInk Floyd elements aswell, but the Ayreon sound is present on every piece. The album is good but lacks the cohesiveness of the second part, who is the best, and sometimes the entire album is too mellow, it would be much better if were infused some more balls in the pieces. Still a pleasent album in my view who desearve 3 stars for sure.