(Review from wikipedia, progarchives.com)

In the early 90s, Arjen Lucassen had to visit many record labels to get his music on an album: again and again he was rejected. In the end the new Dutch label Transmission gave him a chance, in 1995 he released his debut album entitled Final Experiment, naming the band Ayreon.

Ayreon’s musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica to form what some call a completely new style of music. The majority of Ayreon’s albums are dubbed “rock operas” because the albums contain complex storylines featuring a host of characters, each represented by a unique vocalist.

Ayreon’s music is characterized by the use of traditional instruments in rock music (guitars, bass guitar, drums, synthesizers, electric organs) mixed with instruments more native to folk and classical music (i.e. mandolins, violins, violas, celli, flutes, sitars and didgeridoo).

The story of this concept albums starts in the year 2084 AD when scientists try to avoid total destruction of the Earth. With a new computer programm called Time Telepathy they succeeded in contacting a blind minstrel from the sixth century called Ayreon. He has to warn people for the impending downfall by singing his vision. He even meets Merlin but the famous magician vows that Ayreon’s word will be spread in the twentieth century. And so the moralistic epilogue says “The outcome of the final experiment has now been placed in your hands”.

The album shows a tight band, scouting the borders between hardrock and symphonic rock. Most of the 15 tracks are strong and varied. Especially the use of many different singers (an Ayreon trademark) adds an extra dimension to the music. Arjen Lucassen delivers many biting soli with hints from Satriani (and also with echoes from his hero Ritchie Blackmore) but there is no overkill. Cleem Determeijer has a remarkable part in the music: sumptuous sounding synthesizers (juno/oberheim/moog), a beautiful flute and harpsichord duet (“Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy”), nice interplay between mellotron and acoustic guitar (“Listen To The Waves”) and piano and mellotron (“Swan Song”) and delicate harmony between different keyboards, flute and biting guitar, like a desperate cry of the future in “Charm Of The Seer”. There is chemistry between the musicians and between the music and lyrics, making “Final Experiment” one of the best Dutch progressive rock debut albums!

This edition also comes with a bonus CD with semi-acoustic versions of many songs from the album. These songs have been re-arranged extensively from the originals, and in many cases the vocalists approach their songs with entirely different techniques. Sometimes female vocalists sing in the place of males. Fans of Marcela Bovio from “Human Equation” album and Lucassen’s side project, “Streams of Passion”, will be pleased to note that she appears on “Waracle”. Irene Jansen, also from “Human Equation”, sings on “Merlin’s Will”. Finally, some progressive fans will recognize Peter Daltrey, the singer who did the spoken-word parts on “Into the Electric Castle”, singing on “Nature’s Dance”.

“Final Experiment” can be a difficult, emotionally-draining listen, with its oppressively brooding atmosphere of tragedy helped along by the synths. The acoustic songs on this bonus CD have a somewhat warmer, brighter atmosphere, and it’s easier to ignore the lyrics if you so choose and just concentrate on the melodies.

Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals
- Cleem Determeijer (Finch) / on all kinds of keys including mellotron
- Ernst van Ee (Helloise) / drums
- Jolanda Verduijn / bass
- Peter Vink (Finch, Q’65) / bass
- Jan Bijlsma / bass
- Barry Hay / alto flute, vocals
with
- Edward Reekers (Kayak) / vocals
- Lenny Wolf (Kingdom Come) / vocals
- Robert Soeterbroek / vocals
- Jan-Chris De Koeijer / vocals
- Ian Parry (Vengeance) / vocals
- Jan van Feggelen / vocals
- Leon Goewie / vocals
- Ruud Houweling / vocals
- Lucie Hillen / vocals
- Mirjam van Doorn / vocals
- Debby Schreuder / vocals

Track List:
CD1
01. Prologue – 3:16
Act I : The Dawning
02. The Awareness – 6:36
03. Eyes Of Time – 5:05
04. The Banishment – 11:08
Act II : King Arthur’s Court
05. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy – 2:45
06. Sail Away To Avalon – 4:02
07. Nature’s Dance – 2:27
Act III : Visual Echoes
08. Computer-Reign (Game Over) – 3:24
09. Waracle – 6:44
10. Listen To The Waves – 4:58
11. Magic Ride – 3:35
Act IV : Merlin’s Will and Ayreon’s Fate
12. Merlin’s Will – 3:20
13. The Charm Of The Seer – 4:11
14. Swan Song – 2:44
15. Ayreon’s Fate – 6:55
CD2 (Semi-acoustic Bonus)
01. Dreamtime – 4:19
02. Eyes Of Time – 3:25
03. The Accusation – 3:49
04. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy – 2:50
05. Sail Away To Avalon – 3:26
06. Nature’s Dance – 2:03
07. Waracle – 5:16
08. Merlin’s Will – 3:29
09. The Charm Of The Seer – 9:01

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