THE FINAL EXPERIMENT

1. Prologue with Act I - The Dawning and the 90s intro, innovative, spatial, tinkering, a voiceover announcing AYREON then trumpets, the musical slap with the orchestration and that fat synth sound, yes I was glued; the violins and the segue into 2. The Awareness with a 'dark ages', the fresh guitar, the synths that go into the spheres of the beyond or the other way around; space prog metal had just been born; gentle build-up, a different vocal on each track, everything to take you to the stars; the chorus on a laudatory keyboard, choirs galore and then the organ of time, the one that makes you shiver, a nod to DEEP PURPLE; the guitar solo that slides by itself, it's off for a series of musical slaps with this unrestrained grandiloquent side; a concept album worthy of a hard rock opera; 3. Eyes Of Time is introduced by religious choirs and a vulgar, frantic riff, Lenny vocals from KINGDOM COME for a song with a hint of RAINBOW, but even more explosive, the surprise effect continues with the orchestral variation, synth and guitar guiding 4. The Banishment with Act II - King Arthur's Court and the cinematic intro before its time, worthy of The Lord of the Rings. Opening trumpets and it's back to the grandiloquent encore, between medieval and hard opera with divine instrumentals from the start; old organ, it feels like we're in the Charisma universe of GENESIS before the verse; the sound strangely reminds me of the title of CHEAP TRICK on Métal Hurlant, I love it; the organ that bursts forth, fat, velvety, nostalgic before passing the hand to the keyboard then the bass touch of Peter Vink for the great fury moment; the growling, screamed, Dantesque vocal, this final Olympian vocal, angry with the guitar screaming its despair 5. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy as a middle-aged interlude, a melting pot between CANDICE NIGHT and SYMPHONY X with period instruments and a fitting choir; the melting harpsichord 6. Sail Away To Avalon arrives adorned with trumpets and a guitar solo, the vocal is king here, Barry from GOLDEN EARRING; between majestic and solemn, with the alto flute to maintain the remarkable breath 7. Nature's Dance with Act III - Visual Echoes leaning towards a psychedelic PINK FLOYD track, shh; A bucolic passage with a rustic atmosphere, an interlude filled with captivating vocals.

8. "Computer-reign (Game Over)," as its name suggests, for its dark electro-ambience, filled with synth pads and the voice of Irene from AFTER FOREVER and then NIGHTWISH, playing with Arjen and STAR ONE; a great woman. 9. "Waracle" follows, a computer encore with the narrated deep voice, that of Merlin in the story; a siren and it explodes again, just enough time to remind us that this concept album was performed with its many voices in public, for a feeling of musical delirium. The track that sets the album with these dark, moving vocals and these instrumental deluges; on the one hand, there is redundancy, on the other, the continuation of the opera followed by one of the most beautiful guitar solos on the album; the tension at its peak. bells, waves, and 10. Listen To The Waves for the consensual, simple, and airy prog metal feel, the acoustic guitar amplifying the movement; the synths providing the background vibration; narrated vocals with Gregorian choirs, the goosebumps continue; the illuminated keyboard energizes the atmosphere, keeping the notes as enticing as possible alive; the waves return and offer 11. Magic Ride for Act IV and the Gilmourian psychedelic atmosphere against a backdrop of rich dialogue; a latent atmosphere with the mix of voices and choirs in a thin, bucolic tune, with angels passing and repassing, introducing 12. Merlin's Will with Leon from the band VENGEANCE, where Arjen originally played; that fat synth sound making my speakers vibrate, just after the E5-150 of BLACK SABBATH, immense, prodigious, emphatic, dithyrambic, hic, just for having associated the power and the medieval air together; shh I'm listening 13. The Charm Of The Seer returns with this chopped violin in the air of the beginning, a bit of Viennese waltzes, I understand; but the trumpet and harpsichord orchestration brings down the recalcitrant prog; we return to the grandiloquent with a squirt of guitar solo; GENESIS or KING CRIMSON keyboard break before the operatic staccato 14. Swan Song brings this madness to a halt with the piano and flute on the purely orchestral interlude, end no because 15. Ayreon's Fate serves as the finale of this epic concept album, a monumental slap in the face with the hero's destiny for the track, with vocals coming to establish their emotion, their turmoil, their adventures, and their life; the latent synth outro, ambient, spatial, the vocals that come and go, the clock before stopping and the slap again.

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