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Posts tagged Arjen Lucassen
Elfonia – Sonic Landscape (2005) (@192)
15 Aug 2010
(Review from seaoftranquility.org)
The power and beauty of Elfonia’s elegant music mostly lies in Alejandro Millan’s keyboard work and the emotive voice of Marcela Bovio. Their sophomore output This Sonic Landscape, however, finds them growing into a more mature band with a heavier focus on songmanship and taking considerable input from their band mates. The drumming of Javier Garagarza is a huge step forward, not to mention the bass and the eloquent guitar work. As a whole, Elfonia has grown and progressed into a more experienced act with a more defined sound and musical approach.
Repeat listens will reveal that the album is very varied in nature. Not just stylistically, but Marcela Bovio has also penned some English lyrics for a couple of songs. The music is very cohesive throughout; but at the same time, the band opts for much-welcome jazz stylings and touches of avant garde. Granted most of the songs vary from slow to mid-tempo pieces, the band will surprise with various shifts of rhythm, mostly rendered through rhythm guitars and drums.
“Desaciertos” is one of these tracks. It has a very slow piano intro but slowly picks up in pace as it borrows some bluesy guitar lines, symphonic elements, and sweeping keyboard arrangements. Huge guitar chords weave themselves into the song delivering fluctuating rhythms for a while, only to be replaced by a sad violin melody played by none other than Marcela Bovio.
From the off-time jazz drums and guitar on “Maquina” to the heavily fusion-inflected “Camaleon”, the songs are coloured with jazz piano and dark guitar riffs. They both feature breakdowns for delicate bass guitar, which is further explored during guitar solos. The arrangement of the bass and the way it is layered over the guitar chords is truly inspiring.
“Letargo” is an instrumental that is built around dark keyboard textures, folky acoustics producing sparse yet effective guitar notes. “Manana” sees them playing a more upbeat cut with classic rock tendencies with a playful solo. The song does end with distinct jazz licks in order to stay true to the general flow of the album though. Pink Floyd similarities could be drawn on “Traveling”, one of the three English-sung tracks featuring a beautiful drum fade-out.
The last three tracks comprise the album’s epic “Gigantes”, a trilogy that breaks the 15-minute mark. A bit different from the individual tracks, this trilogy is punctuated with rich keyboards that build on until the atmospheric apex is reached, where crushing guitars are introduced laying down avante garde sludge-like riffs heavier than a ten-ton hammer. The middle piece, also the longest on the album, simply titled “II”, is Alejandro Millan’s shining moment, not just as a keyboard and concertina expert, but moreso as a songwriter. This track is mostly instrumental save for some very sweet wordless vocal melodies hummed by Marcela towards the end. The song is fed through lush keyboards and vivid drums that become more audible with each beat and speeding the piece up. By the time the song nears its end, we’re experiencing a thick wall of sound with perfect harmony among each instrument. “III” ends with her otherworldly vocals that eventually give way to another forlorn violin piece offering segments of folk music. It is a very beautiful ending to a very beautiful album.
Following the album’s release, the band performed a successful tour in Mexico to promote this new effort, then split in 2006.
Line-up:
- Marcela Bovio / lead vocals, violin
- Alejandro Milan / keyboards, concertina
- Roberto Quintanilla / guitars
- Tpablo Gonzalez / bass
- Javier Garagarza / drums
with
- Arjen Lucassen / guitar solo (6)
Track List:
01. Gigantes IV – 2:21
02. Maquina – 4:02
03. Soundscapes – 5:20
04. Desaciertos – 5:45
05. …De Los Libros Del Tiempo – 5:29
06. Camaleon – 5:22
07. Letargo – 3:22
08. Manana – 5:01
09. Traveling – 3:42
10. Gigantes I – 4:55
11. Gigantes II – 7:03
12. Gigantes III – 4:56
Link in comments.
Guilt Machine – On This Perfect Day (2009) (@256)
03 Aug 2010
(Review from roadrunnerrecords.com, wikipedia)
In February 2009, Arjen announced in his website that he would be working on his new side project Guilt Machine.
Rather than putting together an ensemble cast of vocalists from the prog, rock and metal scene, Arjen has enlisted the talents of a single alternative rock vocalist, Jasper Steverlinck. His voice, besides its beautiful clear timbre, has the emotion and credibility he puts into his performance and his enormous range. Because this project features just one singer, he alone pulls of the versatility enough to portray all of the different moods.
This time around, we have a different drummer, ex-Porcupine Tree Chris Maitland. He has both the power for the heavy sections and the subtle touch needed in the more atmospheric parts,
Instead of the explicit storyline you would expect in an Ayreon release, the songs of Guilt Machine revolve around a central theme. Instead of looking outward into a world of fantasy or science fiction, the songs look inward, exploring the destructive psychology of guilt, regret and the darkest form of secret — the secrets people hide from themselves. Lori Linstruth definitely gives the songs an extra dimension with her lyrics, exorcising the demons she and Arjen both had faced in the past few years. She also plays all the guitar solos on this album with her melodic guitar style.
Despite these differences, Guilt Machine still has much in common with Ayreon. The songs are mainly long, “epic” tracks that feature dynamic contrasts between softer, dreamy sections and powerful, heavy passages. There are intricate harmonies, complex rhythms, soaring melodies, and an eclectic selection of instruments — all what you’d expect from an Ayreon release.
Regarding a future album of the project, Arjen stated that “we definitely want to make another Guilt Machine album”.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / back vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, mandolin
- Jasper Steverlinck / vocals
- Lori Linstruth / lead guitar, lyrics
- Chris Maitland / drums
Track List:
01. Twisted Coil – 11:43
02. Leland Street – 8:03
03. Green And Cream – 10:32
04. Season Of Denial – 10:22
05. Over – 6:11
06. Perfection – 10:46
Link in comments.
Ayreon – 01011001 (2008) (@256)
02 Aug 2010
(Review from metal-archives.com, progarchives.com, amazon)
Arjen Lucassen sure has evolved big time since his days as a guitarist in Dutch hair metal band Vengeance. 01011001 is the seventh regular release from his Ayreon project.
Ambient and electronic music has a clear influence on the sound here, folk music influences are used quite extensively too; and the songs come across as well structured, planned and executed.
Less dramatics and less metal than in the previous releases; and not as pretentious as previous releases either.
Those who missed the instrumental section on “The Human Equation” will be glad to see their return with “0101101″. The production values are closer to “The Human Equation” than anything else, but the songs are written more in the style of “Electric Castle” and “Universal Migrator”, with longer vocal parts and long instrumentals. Thanks to the aid of many top-gun progressive musicians, Symphony X’s Michael Romeo and ex-Dream Theater’s Derek Sherinian among them, “0101101″ should not be a disappointment to the progressive fans who were hooked with “Electric Castle” or “Universal Migrator”.
The structure of the concept, it is divided into two different disc: “Y” and “Earth”, each one including the planet where its own part of the story develops. Between both albums, a total of 17 different vocalists are featured, divided in two categories: Forever and Men.
The first disc “Y”, can be considered as the very beginning of the whole Ayreon story. Its name refers to the planet “Y”, an imaginary planet located in the Andromeda constelation and supposed to be home for the Forevers, intelligent beings (just like mankind, and this happens because, further on the story, it is said that mankind was actually created by the Forevers) that now try to stay alive by artificial ways because machines have destroyed their planet and their sun, forcing them to live in the darkness and lose their emotions. They moan for an undefined period of time in the shadows until they discover a way to survive in another planet, by sending their DNA to a distant galaxy on a comet to find the perfect planet while they look after them in every moment.
Due to the fact that about 3 or 4 of the 8 songs of the disc are connected with the sadness, darkness, memories and lack of emotions of the Forevers, “Y” is incredibly melancholic (in contrast with the “happiness” found in the other disc), ethereal and, of course, very slow. These elements create a very delicate harmony based on tragedy, loss, grief, greed and a little arrogance.
The second disc, “Earth” continues the concept that was told in “Ride The Comet”, with the discovering by the Forevers of a planet perfect to breed a new race and live again throght them. That planet was the Earth, back then inhabited by the dinosaurs. The Forevers, sensing danger from those giant reptiles, killed them and placed their seeds on Earth, resulting in the birth of the human race. Next, according to the story, Forevers gave men and women emotions and feelings but, fearing that the humans’ evolution moved far too slow, they started giving manking more knowledge than what they could control, leading to overpopulation, massive pollution, nuclear bombs, global warming and misuse of liberty and expression. Wanting to prevent mankind from their eventual destruction, the Forevers started sending them signals, but all efforts were useless: nothing could be done, and mankind was destroyed during a nuclear World War in 2084 (as told before on “Flight of The Migrator Pt. I: The Dream Sequencer”), and forcing the survivors to escpae to Mars: They eventually die until there’s only one man alive and, knowing he won’t survive, the Forevers send him their last hope in the shape of the artifact called the Dream Sequencer, not before pleading to the Universal Migrator to restore their lives.
“Earth” includes more lively songs than “Y”, faster tempos and “brighter” atmospheres, giving the sensation of being surrounded by life every time. It’s clearly more aggressive, including even death grunts. This time, the atmosphere is not as important as before, losing the leadership of the songs and giving it to the guitars, keyboards and strings, which are more widely used this time.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synths and programming
with
- Anneke Van Giersbergen / vocals
- Bob Catley / vocals
- Daniel Gildenlow / vocals
- Floor Jansen / vocals
- Hansi Kursch / vocals
- Jonas Renkse / vocals
- Jorn Lande / vocals
- Liselotte Hegt / vocals
- Magali Luyten / vocals
- Marjan Welman / vocals
- Phideaux Xavier / vocals
- Simone Simons / vocals
- Steve Lee / vocals
- Tom S. Englund / vocals
- Ty Tabor / vocals
- Wudstik / vocals
- Lori Linstruth / guitars
- Michael Romeo / guitars
- Ben Mathot / Violin
- David Faber / Violoncello
- Jeroen Goossens / Flute
- Derek Sherinian / keyboards
- Joost van den Broek / keyboards
- Tomas Bodin / keyboards
- Ed Warby / drum
Track List:
CD1
01. Age of Shadows – 10:47
02. Comatose – 4:26
03. Liquid Eternity – 8:09
04. Connect the Dots – 4:12
05. Beneath the Waves – 8:26
06. Newborn Race – 7:49
07. Ride the Comet – 3:29
08. Web of Lies – 2:50
CD2
01. The Fifth Extinction – 10:29
02. Waking Dreams – 6:31
03. The Truth is in Here – 5:12
04. Unnatural Selection – 7:15
05. River of Time – 4:24
06. E=mc² – 5:50
07. The Sixth Extinction – 12:18
Link in comments.
Stream Of Passion – Live in the Real World (2006) (@320)
01 Aug 2010
(Review from blogcritics.org)
Some people thought that the band was suspect as a live band because the first studio release “Embrace The Storm” came together by exchanging files over the internet. This live album finds the band touring out in the real world.
In the set list, their debut album is represented with 7 songs, 10 tracks from various Arjen projects with an Elfonia (Bovio’s band) song and a “When the Levee Breaks” cover as a topping.
Marcela Bovio is magnetic on stage and she has her equally beautiful sister Diana by her side to provide the outstanding backup vocals necessary for all of the tracks the band runs through on the album. Damian Wilson (Threshold, Rick Wakeman) steps up and steers the ship for the Ayreon classics “The Castle Hall” and “Into the Black Hole”. Alejandro Milan creates a wall of sound with his piano and strings, and then adds some surprisingly good vocals in as well. Lori Linstruth has razor sharp guitar lines. She does a nice job answering Arjen’s guitar lines blow for blow and at times leads the way.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitar & vocals
- Marcela Bovio / lead vocals & violin
- Alejandro Millan / piano, strings & vocals
- Lori Linstruth / guitar
- Johan van Stratum / bass guitar
- Davy Mickers / drums
with
- Diana Bovio / back vocals
- Damian Wilson / vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Intro – 1:28
02. Spellbound – 4:16
03. Passion – 5:40
04. Waracle – 6:15
05. Wherever You Are – 5:33
06. Computer Eyes – 6:18
07. Calliopeia – 5:20
08. Valley Of The Queens – 4:17
09. Haunted – 4:58
10. The Charm Of The Seer – 3:11
11. Deceiver / Songs Of The Ocean – 6:10
CD2
01. Day One: Vigil – 2:01
02. Day Three: Pain – 5:56
03. Nostalgia – 3:44
04. Out In The Real World – 6:31
05. The Castle Hall – 6:28
06. Into The Black Hole – 8:31
07. When The Levee Breaks – 6:07
08. Day Eleven: Love – 6:18
Link in comments.
Stream Of Passion – Embrace The Storm (2005) (@256)
29 Jul 2010
(Review from streamofpassion.com, progarchives.com)
Stream of Passion is another one of Arjen Lucassen’s side projects and features musicians from many different countries. The music is build around Mexican female vocalist Marcela Bovio’s beautiful voice. Arjen discovered her and she guested on Ayreon’s “Human Equation” album from 2004.
To form the band, Lucassen used the Internet to tap into the numerous talents that reside all across the globe. A year ago, Dutch drummer Davy Mickers downloaded a special track from Lucassen’s website to enter a musicians contest, and used it to showcase his incredible drumming skills. And just recently Lucassen discovered Lori Linstruth, an amazingly skilled American female guitarist residing in Sweden, among the members of the online Ayreon Yahoo group. Completing the band are Mexican pianist Alejandro Millan and Dutch bass player Johan van Stratum from the Rock Academy in Tilburg.
The band’s creative juices are flowing to and from between computers stationed in all corners of the world – recording, writing and matching up musical ideas to form songs. The end result is as diverse and driven as each individual band member.
Blending mysterious gothic vocals, metal guitars and atmospheric trip-hop, with haunting pianos and live celli- and violin quartets; the band’s “Embrace the Storm” album was released in 2005.
The songs on the album have chugging heavy metal riffs and lots of melodic elements both in the guitar playing and the omnipresent piano motifs but it’s Marcela Bovio’s melodic melody lines and emotional vocal performance that everything evolves around. The music is not as symphonic as the usual projects from Arjen, but there’s still an unmistakable flavour to many of the songs.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, music
- Marcela Bovio / vocals, lyrics, violin
- Johan van Stratum / bass guitar
- Davy Mickers / drums
- Lori Linstruth / lead guitars
- Alejandro Millan / piano
Track List:
01. Spellbound – 3:34
02. Passion – 5:20
03. Deceiver – 5:09
04. I’ll Keep On Dreaming – 3:45
05. Haunted – 4:31
06. Wherever You Are – 5:08
07. Open Your Eyes – 5:14
08. Embrace The Storm – 4:12
09. Breathing Again – 3:38
10. Out In The Real World – 4:32
11. Nostalgia – 3:08
12. Calliopeia – 5:39
Link in comments.
Ayreon – Actual Fantasy Revisited (2004) (@256)
26 Jul 2010
(Review from amazon)
“Actual Fantasy Revisited” is the (mostly) re-recorded version of Ayreon’s 1996 release Actual Fantasy. Released after the highly successful rock opera debut, The Final Experiment, mastermind Arjen Lucassen decided to surprise his fans with a more electronic-based album consisting of fewer singers and a loosely connected lyrical theme. To give the album a more electronic feel and digital atmosphere, Lucassen used a drum machine. Lucassen always wondered how it would sound if he used a real drummer and another bass player. Which he realized eight years after the original release. Enter drummer Ed Warby and bassist Peter Vink. Most of the guitars were re-recorded, some from scratch, the synth solos were changed, and even the programmed flute was replaced by the real instrument.
If you’ve heard the original version, be prepared to be blown away by the excellently crisp production. Each instrument is audible and perfectly mixed. The re-recorded guitars and synths are a lot better and more interesting. The result is definitely a more powerful, more fresh, more crisp, and more alive.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, keyboards, additional noises
- Peter Vink / bass guitar
- Ed Warby / drums
- Ewa Alberink / flute
- Robert Soeterboek / vocals
- Edward Reekers / vocals
- Okkie Huysdens / vocals
- Cleem Determeyer / synthesizers solos
- Rene Merkelbach / Hammond, synthesizers solos
Track List:
01. Actual Fantasy – 1:45
02. Abbey Of Synn – 9:20
03. The Stranger From Within – 7:34
04. Computer Eyes – 7:17
05. Beyond The Last Horizon – 7:16
06. Farside Of The World – 6:31
07. Back On Planet Earth – 7:05
08. Forevermore – 7:35
09. The Dawn Of Man – 7:39
Link in comments.
Ayreon – Human Equation (2004) (@256)
25 Jul 2010
(Review from seaoftranquility.org, metal-archives.com, progarchives.com)
With his new Ayreon album, Arjen Lucassen seems to be moving deeper and deeper into the rock opera world. Looking at the lyric sheet here it looks like something written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The guest list on each album is getting longer with the singers on this album being assigned roles to play.
The Human Equation follows the story of a man who falls in a coma after plowing his car into a tree. While in a coma, he unlocks some hidden region of his mind where he confronts his emotions and and memories. Meanwhile, his best friend and wife sit at his hospital bed waiting for a sign of life.
Like most rock operas, the songs work best as a unified whole, but songs like “Day Eleven: Love” and “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly do stand out for the great vocals and melodies. There is one thing that cannot be overlooked and that is the impressive roster of singers and instrumentalists Lucassen has assembled for his latest project: Martin Orford from IQ and Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep make small but invaluable contributions. Hensley’s short but raging Hammond organ solo on “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly takes us back to Hensley’s work with Uriah Heep.
As for the singers, James LaBrie from Dream Theater plays the part of the man in the coma, simply known as Me. If you are used to Labrie’s work with Dream Theater, be prepared to be surprised here. For the most part, his singing is mellow and happily he proves that he has more depth as a singer than he is generally given credit for. Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn is cast as Love and her singing is as impressive and moving here as it is with her own band. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth is given ample opportunity to shine as well; the man has a great voice. Relative newcomer Marcela Bovia also deserves a mention as the wife; judging from her performance with Ayreon, she has a bright future ahead of her.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron, additional keyboards, mandoline, vocals as ‘Best Friend’
- Devon Graves / vocals as ‘Agony’
- Devin Townsend / vocals as ‘Rage’
- Eric Clayton / vocals as ‘Reason’
- Mikael Akerfeldt / vocals as ‘Fear’
- Magnus Ekwall / vocals as ‘Pride’
- Heather Findlay / vocals as ‘Love’
- Irene Jansen / vocals as ‘Passion’
- James LaBrie / vocals as ‘Me’
- Marcela Bovio / vocals as ‘Wife’
- Mike Baker / vocals as ‘Father’
- Ken Hensley / Hammond (16)
- Oliver Wakeman / keyboards (17)
- Martin Orford / keyboards (15)
- Ed Warby / drums
- Joost van den Broek / synthesizer (2), spinet (13)
- John McManus / Low-flute (13,16,18), tin-whistle (18)
- Jeroen Goossens / flute (3,5,9,14,18), alto-flute (2), bass flute (5,14), panpipes (6), descant and treble recorder (13), didgeridoo (16), bassoon (18)
- Robert Baba / violins
- Marieke van der Heyden / cello
Track List:
CD1
01. Day One: Vigil – 1:33
02. Day Two: Isolation – 8:42
03. Day Three: Pain – 4:58
04. Day Four: Mystery – 5:37
05. Day Five: Voices – 7:09
06. Day Six: Childhood – 5:05
07. Day Seven: Hope – 2:47
08. Day Eight: School – 4:22
09. Day Nine: Playground – 2:15
10. Day Ten: Memories – 3:57
11. Day Eleven: Love – 4:18
CD2
12. Day Twelve: Trauma – 8:59
13. Day Thirteen: Sign – 4:47
14. Day Fourteen: Pride – 4:42
15. Day Fifteen: Betrayal – 5:24
16. Day Sixteen: Loser – 4:46
17. Day Seventeen: Accident? – 5:42
18. Day Eighteen: Realization – 4:31
19. Day Nineteen: Disclosure – 4:42
20. Day Twenty: Confrontation – 7:03
Link in comments.
Star One – Live On Earth (2003) (@256)
24 Jul 2010
(Review from metal-archives.com, progarchives.com)
After the release of “Space Metal”, most of the cast of “Star One” went on the Intergalactic Space Crusader Tour 2002. ”Live On Earth” was recorded during the tour’s last gig in Rijssen, The Netherlands. The recording and sonics are superbly rendered and brilliantly representative of the studio recording.
“Live On Earth” draws it’s set list from both Star One and Ayreon albums. All of Ayreon albums are at least represented with one song. Star One being the reason for the tour is also quite well represented.
Anyone who is familiar with Ayreon’s material can well imagine the complexity entailed in bringing most of the material live in a form that would do justice to the studio version. First being the presence of multiple vocalists. Luckily 2 out of 3 male vocalist present in the Star One studio album are present, Russell Allen and Damian Wilson. Robert Soeterbek fills and sings Dan Swano vocal parts on the Star One material. There is no let down due to the change, Soeterbek sings with energy and passion.
The star of the show is without a doubt the vocal performance of Russell Allen. He seems that have grown in leaps and bounds since his last recorded live outing on Symphony X’s Live on the Edge of Forever (which itself was excellent). On Star One he displays more power and a smoother delivery than he did on Live on the Edge of Forever. Indicating perhaps a better mastery of live vocal techniques.
Speaking of vocalists we are introduced to Irene Jansen sister of After Forever’s Floor Jansen. Both sisters perform as back up singers throughout the set and do a fantastic job adding harmonious layers to the songs. As a coming party Irene delivers a knock out solo performance on the haunting Valley of the Queens.
The backing band is extremely solid and delivers a precise performance, that’s quite the compliment considering the complexity of some of the Ayreon material.
Highlights include “Dreamtime” and “Valley Of The Queens”, the lively “Set Your Controls”, the synth-heavy “Into the Black Hole” and the grandiose “Eye Of Ra” to name just a few.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars
- Joost van den Broek / keyboards
- Peter Vink / bass
- Ed Warby / drums
- Russell Allen / vocals
- Damian Wilson / vocals
- Floor Jansen / vocals
- Irene Jansen / vocals
- Robert Soeterboek / vocals
with
- Edward Reekers / vocals
- Ewa Albering / flute
Track List:
CD1
01. Lift Off – 1:34
02. Set Your Controls – 6:19
03. High Moon – 5:28
04. Dreamtime – 2:58
05. Eyes Of Time – 3:49
06. Songs Of The Ocean – 5:59
07. Dawn Of A Million Souls – 5:17
08. The Dream Sequencer – 6:03
09. Into The Black Hole – 11:27
10. Actual Fantasy – 1:28
11. Valley Of The Queens – 3:22
CD2
01. Isis And Osiris – 8:48
02. Amazing Flight In Space – 8:00
03. Intergalactic Space Crusaders – 5:15
04. Castle Hall – 4:57
05. The Eye Of Ra – 9:16
06. Starchild – 9:21
07. The Two Gates – 14:34
Link in comments.
Star One – Space Metal (2002) (@256)
23 Jul 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
Star One is a straightforward and hard-edge metal side-project which Arjen Lucassen created as a reaction to the soft and atmospheric Ambeon release a year earlier. Although Star One was initially intended to be a single-singer project, it quickly transformed into a multi-singer project featuring stellar singers.
The album title tells you all you need to know. The music is loud and powerful, whilst also being extremely melodic. At times, such as on “Songs of the ocean” and “Intergalactic space crusaders”, it verges on becoming pop. The Sweet in their heyday could well have taken the latter to the top of the charts! The songs are generally less complex than those of Ayreon, but there’s still much to enjoy, with tracks like “The eye of Ra” and “Starchild” being developed into longer, slightly more progressive pieces.
The production and performance are excellent, as you would expect, with the usual array of guest vocalists and musicians. The album was inspired by “films that take place entirely in space”, with the vocalists performing dialogue “roles” on each track. Some may feel the space theme is wearing a bit thin these days, but it appears to be where Arjen finds the inspiration to create some of his best works.
Nearly all the songs are based on science fiction movies situated in space. The name Star One come comes from a 70s cult British television series named Blakes 7 in which an artificial planet called Star One is featured. The song Intergalactic Space Crusaders is also based on this series.
This edition of the album includes a bonus disc. This features additional tracks, re-workings and cover versions. The version of “Space Oddity” is interesting, somewhat heavier and darker than the original, whilst retaining strong echoes of Bowie’s vocals. Dave Brock of Hawkwind makes a personal appearance on vocals on the “Hawkwind medley”, a 9 minute run through of some of that bands better know tracks. The music of Hawkwind does not really lend itself to the medley format, thus while the track is enjoyable, it might have been better to simply cover a couple of their tracks in full.
For those who enjoy a harder edge to their music, while still wishing to hear strong melodies, and solid performances this album fits the bill very nicely.
Line-up:
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen / guitars, bass, keyboards
- Ed Warby / drums
- Russell Allen / vocals
- Damian Wilson / vocals
- Dan Swano / vocals
- Floor Jansen / vocals
with
- Jens Johansson / keyboards
- Erik Norlander / keyboards
- Gary Wehrkamp / guitar
- Robert Soeterboek / back vocals
- Dave Brock / vocals (11)
Track List:
CD1
01. Lift-off – 1:13
02. Set Your Controls – 6:01
03. High Moon – 5:36
04. Songs of the Ocean – 5:23
05. Master of Darkness – 5:14
06. The Eye of Ra – 7:34
07. Sandrider – 5:31
08. Perfect Survivor – 4:46
09. Intergalactic Space Crusaders – 5:22
10. Starchild – 9:04
CD2
01. Hawkwind Medley – 9:46
02. Spaced Out – 4:53
03. Inseparable Enemies – 4:15
04. Space Oddity [Bowie] – 4:59
05. Starchild [Mixed in Dolby Pro-Logic] – 9:31
06. Spaced Out [Alternate Version] – 4:55
07. Intergalactic Laxative – 2:32
Link in comments.
Ambeon – Fate of a Dreamer (2001) (@256)
22 Jul 2010
(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)
Ambeon is a side project of Arjen Lucassen, featuring a young and very talented female vocalist, Astrid van der Veen.
Originally Arjen set out to record an ambient instrumental album based on certain electronic patterns, chords and melodies derived from the recorded tracks of existing Ayreon songs (to test his new studio hardware system). In the process some new songs evolved, and Arjen figured female vocals on one or two songs would add a warm human touch.
After hearing a recording of a 14-year young Dutch singer named Astrid van der Veen, he thought that this was exactly the voice he was looking for, and so asked her to write lyrics and melodies to go over some of these re-constructed ambient tracks and then sing them. This arrangement worked out extremely well. So before he realized it the album had developed from an instrumental album with two vocal songs to a vocal album with two instrumentals.
“Fate Of A Dreamer” is a very ambient “Arjen Lucassen” album. You’ll definitely recognize the melodies which are all derived from existing Ayreon tracks. They work great in an ambient setting with the wonderful voice of (then) teenage girl Astrid van der Veen.
Arjen Lucassen has stated that he’s not satisfied with “Fate of a Dreamer” and one day would very much like to make another, better Ambeon album.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / acoustic and electric guitars, analogue keyboards, samples and weird noises
- Astrid Van Der Veen / vocals and backing vocals
- Stephen Van Haestregt / acoustic and electronic drums and percussion
- Walter Latupeirissa / bass and fretless bass guitar
with
- John McManus / low flute and Uilleann pipes
- Pat McManus / fiddle
- Erik Norlander / additional synths
- Lana Lane / reversed backing vocals
Track List:
01. Estranged – 2:49
02. Ashes – 5:31
03. High – 4:14
04. Cold Metal – 6:52
05. Fate – 7:41
06. Sick Ceremony – 3:46
07. Lost Message – 4:32
08. Surreal – 4:39
09. Sweet Little Brother – 6:08
10. Dreamer – 5:17
Link in comments.
Ayreon – Ayreonauts Only (Compilation 2000) (@256)
21 Jul 2010
(Review from wikipedia, amazon, progvisions.net)
As the title suggests, it is an album made primarily for fans of Ayreon, and contains demos and alternate versions of Ayreon songs.
Every previous Ayreon studio album is represented. There are three tracks from Ayreon’s debut album, “Final Experiment”, one from “Actual Fantasy”, one from “Into the Electric Castle”, one from “The Dream Sequencer” and four from “Flight of the Migrator”.
The first alternate version is “Into the black hole” sung by Damian Wilson and Lana Lane instead of Bruce Dickinson, who this time gives chorus only. Robert Soeterboek is the one in charge of doing vocals in “To the Solar System”, giving a more bluesy and hard rock feel.
Something similar happens to “Through the Wormhole” sung by Ian Parry in a more “classical” mood. To conclude with the “Migrators”, we find a beautiful acoustic version of “Temple of the Cat” sung by Astrid Van Der Veen, a 14-year old lady.
From “Actual Fantasy” there is only one version of “Beyond the Last Horizon” sung by Gary Hughes (Ten). From “Final Experiment” there are three tracks: “Charm of the Seer” sung by Arjen himself; “Eyes of Time” where Leon Goewie (ex Vengeance) does his best to complicate the song with his voice making a final noisy version. In “Nature’s Dance”, a beautiful acoustic guitar driven track with the voice of Arjen not filtered by Hammond’s Leslie as it was in the original.
We can find the original version of “Chaos” (opening track of “Flight of the Migrator”), originally recorded 9 years ago, now renamed as “Carpe Diem”. A very faithful version to the original but without Ed Warby’s drums.
“Original Hippie’s Amazing Trip” is sung by Mouse who originally had to be the hippie in “Into the Electric Castle” but was replaced by Arjen. With a beautiful Floydian feel the hippie’s character from the album is developed with the help of the good choirs of Anneke Van Giersbergen and Edward Reekers.
The last track is “Cold Metal”, a preview of Ambeon, the new project of Arjen Lucassen with the splendid voice of Astrid van der Veen (from track 5). The “Ambeon” project seeks a more ambient effect to Ayreon music. This track shows a new direction in the career of Arjen, beautiful and rich music with a moderate and pleasant ambient touch.
This is a great offering for Ayreon fans, however if you don’t have any material from this Dutchman, it is always better to pick any of the original works.
Line-up:
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen / vocals (8, 10), all other instruments
with
- Ed Warby / drums (1-3)
- Erik Norlander / keyboards (1, 2)
- Clive Nolan / keyboards (1)
- Gary(eon) Wehrkamp / guitar, synth (3)
- Roland Bakker / hammond (6)
- Robby Valentine / piano (6)
- Stephen van Haestregt / drums (7, 11)
- Ernst van Ee / drums (9)
- Peter Vink / bass (9)
- Cleem Determeijer / hammond, minimoog (9)
- Jolanda Verduijn / bass (11)
- Damian Wilson / vocals (1)
- Lana Lane / vocals (1), back vocals (3)
- Rob Soeterbroek / vocals (2)
- Astrid van der Veen / vocals (5, 11)
- Mouse / vocals (6)
- Anneke van Giersbergen / vocals (6)
- Edward Reekers / vocals (6)
- Gary Hughes / vocals (7)
- Leon Goewie / vocals (9)
- Bruce Dickinson / back vocals (1)
- Fabio Lione / back vocals (3)
- Rob Soeterbroek / back vocals (7)
- Okkie Huysdens / back vocals (7)
- Mirjam van Doorn / back vocals (9)
- Debbie Schreuder / back vocals (9)
- Rene Merkelbach / back vocals (9)
Track List:
01. Into the Black Hole – 10:46
02. Out of the White Hole – 7:12
03. Through the Wormhole – 6:14
04. Carpe Diem – Chaos – 4:15
05. Temple of the Cat – 3:07
06. Original Hippie’s Amazing Trip – 6:38
07. Beyond the Last Horizon – 5:34
08. The Charm of the Seer – 3:30
09. Eyes of Time – 5:10
10. Nature’s Dance – 2:33
11. Ambeon: Cold Metal – 7:10
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Ayreon – Universal Migrator, Pt. 2 – Flight of the Migrator (2000) (@256)
20 Jul 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
Part 1 of “Universal Migrator” was melodic and atmospheric, while this album is a heavy progressive adventure.
There are a plethora of guest singers and musicians, including Bruce Dickinson and Clive Nolan on “Into the Black Hole”, but the sound and feel remain very much Ayreon. The list of bands supplying guests gives more than a hint of what to expect, including as it does Symphony X, Arena, Helloween, Iron Maiden, Stratovarius, and Rhapsody.
There is still plenty of melodic, and indeed accessible rock here though, “Dawn of a Million Souls” for example has an anthemic chorus backed by heavy keyboards and orchestration. The usual space and time themes prevail throughout, with more synthesiser, organ and guitar solos than most bands manage in their entire existence. There’s an excitement and good feeling to the music which gives this concept album a lasting appeal.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron and additional keyboards
- Erik Norlander / analogue synthesizers, piano, vocoder, Hammond and additional keyboards
- Ed Warby / drums
- Michael Romeo / guitar (2)
- Oscar Holleman / guitar (4)
- Gary Wehrkamp / guitar, keyboards (6)
- Rene Merkelbach / keyboards (4)
- Clive Nolan / synth (5)
- Keiko Kumagai / keyboards (9)
- Russel Allen / vocals (2)
- Ralf Scheepers / vocals (3)
- Andi Deris / vocals (4)
- Bruce Dickinson / vocals (5)
- Fabio Leone / vocals (7)
- Timo Kotipelto / vocals (7)
- Robert Soeterboek / vocals (8)
- Ian Parry / vocals (9)
- Damion Wilson / back vocals (2)
- Lana Lane / back vocals (4-6, 9), narration (1)
Track List:
01. Chaos – 5:11
02. Dawn Of A Million Souls – 7:45
03. Journey On The Waves Of Time – 5:47
04. To The Quasar – 8:42
05. Into The Black Hole – 10:25
06. Through The Wormhole – 6:05
07. Out Of The White Hole – 7:10
08. To The Solar System – 6:12
09. The New Migrator – 8:15
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Ayreon – Universal Migrator Pt. 1 – Dream Sequencer (2000) (@256)
19 Jul 2010
(Review from progarchives.com)
Released in 2000 as the first of two albums entitled “Universal Migrator”, this set bears the sub-title “Dream Sequencer”. The two sets come from rather different moulds. While part 2 (“Flight of the Migrator”) has a distinctly metal edge to it, this album focuses on lighter, more melodic aspects.
These albums continue a developing science fiction story started on Ayreon’s first album (but bypassed on the second). By now, Earth has been destroyed by a war, the survivors forming a colony on Mars. These innovative people build a “Dream Sequencer”, allowing them to experience once again, their past lives.
The opening “The dream sequencer” is a smooth, Gilmour-esque scene setter, with atmospheric spoken word introducing a lead guitar instrumental. As we merge into “My house on Mars”, the mood remains constrained, with processed lead vocals alternating with a female chorus. The track builds subtly, with horn like synths (as featured on the aforementioned “The final countdown”) conveying the main theme. If you enjoy those opening numbers, you are pretty much guaranteed to be drawn in by the rest of the album. “One small step” for example is a magnificent piece, but could well be “My house on mars, part 2″.
“The shooting company of Captain Frans B. Cocq” is one of the most diverse numbers on the album, dipping into David Bowie territory at one stage, complete with his Cockney style accent. As is Lucassen’s custom, he calls on the services of a diverse range of vocalists and instrumentalists throughout the album. Of these, highlights include the appearance of Lana Lane on a number of tracks, and Clive Nolan adding keyboards to “2084″. The closing “The first man on Earth” features the distinctive voice of Neal Morse, resulting in a song which is a strange crossbreed of Ayreon and Spock’s Beard.
One of the most pleasing aspects of the album is the way Lucassen develops the songs. Time it seems is not an issue here with many of the numbers, while relatively simple in structure, being elaborated into 7 and 8 minute pieces. That is not to imply that they outstay their welcome, the listener’s attention is retained throughout by inventive instrumentation and variations on the themes.
Simply sit back and enjoy and hour or so of highly melodic music performed by masters in their field.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron and additional keyboards, vocals
- Erik Norlander / analogue synthesizers, piano, vocoder, Hammond and additional keyboards
- Rob Snijders / drums
- Clive Nolan / synth solo (3)
- Johan Edlund / vocals (2)
- Floor Jansen / vocals (2)
- Lana Lane – vocals (3, 6), voice (1), back vocals (4, 5)
- Edward Reekers / vocals (4)
- Mouse / vocals (5)
- Jacqueline Govaert / vocals (7)
- Damian Wilson / vocals
- Neal Morse / vocals (10)
- Mark McCrite / back vocals (10)
Track List:
01. The Dream Sequencer – 5:09
02. My house on Mars – 7:48
03. 2084 – 7:41
04. One small step – 8:45
05. The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq – 7:57
06. Dragon on the Sea – 7:08
07. Temple of the Cat – 4:10
08. Carried by the Wind – 3:58
09. And the Druids turn to stone – 6:36
10. The first man on Earth – 7:19
11. The Dream Sequencer reprise – 3:38
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Ayreon – Into The Electric Castle (1998) (@256)
18 Jul 2010
(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic)
Into the Electric Castle is a complicated story involving eight individuals who are pulled from out of their timeline and brought together by an entity called Forever of the Stars. They are given the task of finding the Electric Castle and entering it to find out what’s inside. The storyline is actually a lot more complex and covers several levels of concepts.
The historical characters include the Roman played by Edwin Balogh (Omega), the Indian played by Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), the Barbarian played by Jay van Feggelin (Bodine), the Highlander played by Fish (Marillion), the Egyptian played by Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering), the Hippie played by Anthony Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon’s creator), the Futureman played by Edward Reekers (Kayak), and the Knight played by Damian Wilson (Threshold, Landmarq). In addition, Peter Daltrey (Kaleidoscope) is the voice of Forever of the Stars. In addition to all these vocalists, a number of guest instrumentalists appear on this album, including Clive Nolan (Arena), Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak), Thijs van Leer (Focus), Ed Warby (Gorefest), and others. Lucassen really gathered together a wonderful group of performers.
The musicianship on this album is superb incorporating elements of symphonic progressive rock, progressive metal, psychedelic, electronica, and occasionally some blues and jazz. The production is amazing, the mix is perfect. Lucassen is clearly a skilled studio technician in addition to his musicianship.
The concept and characters are based on old sci-fi TV shows and B-movies. They still reflect on so many levels of human perception, such as how each character perceives what the Electric Castle might be. The Highlander perceives it as Hell, the Knight as the Island of Avalon where the Holy Grail is, the Roman perceives it as the Underworld, the Egyptian perceives it as the Afterlife, the Hippie thinks he’s in a drug-induced stupor, and the Futureman perceives it as a virtual reality. The conflicts between these different personalities from different eras of civilization adds a whole additional layer. Lucassen may have been inspired by B-movies, but he has the making of a compelling storyline for a full-blown science fiction novel.
This campy rock opera spawned a devout cult following for Ayreon.
Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / guitars, mandolin, bass, Minimoog, Mellotron & keyboards, vocals
with
- Fish / vocals
- Damian Wilson / vocals
- Sharon Den Adel / vocals
- Edward Reekers / vocals
- Anneke van Giersbergen / vocals
- Edwin Balogh / vocals
- Jay van Feggelen / vocals
- Peter Daltrey / narrator
- Roland Bakker / Hammonds
- Jack Pisters / sitar
- Robby Valentine / pianos, synth solos on IIa, IIIa (disc 1) and IV (disc 2), mellotron on VIa (disc 2)
- Erno Olah / violins
- Clive Nolan / synth solos
- Rene Merkelbach / synth solos, harpsichord
- Ton Scherpenzeel / synth solos
- Ed Warby / drums
- Taco Kooistra / celli
- Thijs van Leer / flute
Track List:
CD1
01. Welcome To The New Dimension – 3:06
02. Isis And Osiris – 11:11
03. Amazing Flight – 10:15
04. Time Beyond Time – 6:04
05. The Decision Tree (We’re Alive) – 6:23
06. Tunnel Of Light – 4:05
07. Across The Rainbow Bridge – 6:19
CD2
01. The Garden Of Emotions – 9:41
02. Valley Of The Queens – 2:24
03. The Castle Hall – 5:49
04. Tower Of Hope – 4:53
05. Cosmic Fusion – 7:27
06. The Mirror Maze – 6:34
07. Evil Devolution – 6:30
08. The Two Gates – 6:28
09. ‘Forever’ Of The Stars – 2:02
10. Another Time, Another Space – 5:20
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Ayreon – Actual Fantasy (1996) (@256)
17 Jul 2010
(Review from metal-archives.com, progarchives.com)
Ayreon second release is the only one which does not stick to the plot that is gradually developed on the other albums, namely that science fiction story about the alien species called Forevers and their pursuit of rediscovering their lost emotions. “Actual Fantasy” also develops science-fiction and social themes, but they are taken separately. That said, this release can be regarded as the easiest to listen from the Ayreon catalogue, not only because of the independent songs, but also because this is the less progressive work Lucassen has developed in the Ayreon project.
Highlights? “Abbey of Synn” is one of them, not only because of the inspiration from Umberto Eco’s novel “The name of the rose”, the song, despite its length, manages to capture the listener’s attention due to its atmospheric and vocal passages. The next two songs, “Stranger from within” and “Computer Eyes” follow the same manner. The electronic passages are intertwined throughout the album, “Computer eyes” and “Far side of the world” are full of them.
Arjen Lucassen has never been the man for outstanding guitar solos, so this album kind of lacks this component, but it’s compensated by the strong use of electric sounds, acoustic guitars, the overused layer of synths and of course, the metal incorporated.
Added to this, there are the lyrics which treat, as mentioned, various themes, such as: mental fantasies, criticism on the inappropriate and excessive use of computer games and virtual reality, post-death experiences and so on.
Although this is a great feat of musical composition, arrangement and technical precision; it’s actually not one of the best albums of the band. Ayreon was destined to do a lot better.
Line-up:
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen / all instruments
with
- Robert Soeterbeek / vocals
- Edward Reekers / vocals
- Okkie Huysden / vocals
- Cleem Determeijer / synth solo (3, 4)
- Rene Merkelenbach / hammond, synth solo (2)
Track List:
01. Actual Fantasy – 1:33
02. Abbey Of Synn – 9:34
03. The Stranger From Within – 7:40
04. Computer Eyes – 7:27
05. Beyond The Last Horizon – 7:35
06. Farside Of The World – 6:20
07. Back On Planet Earth – 7:04
08. Forevermore – 7:16
09. The Dawn Of Man (Bonus) – 7:32
10. The Stranger From Within (Bonus Single) – 3:38
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Ayreon – Final Experiment (1995) (@256)
05 Jul 2008
(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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