Review Ayreon - the theory of everything

Brand new Ayreon album out a while ago. Exit the Aliens and space travel.

Welcome theory of everything and family problems.

An Ayreon is not a typical album. For those who don’t know, Ayreon is the covert name for the tall hippie prog dude known as Arjen Lucassen. Surrounded by his faithful assistants (Ed Warby on the drums and Lorie on production and a dark figure of his family…probably an evil twin), he fights conventional rock album boredom with the help of guest singers and musician, doing prog rock opera.

Because that‘s what it is.

Here you have a story (like a concept album) complete with instrumental, multi voice songs and flash backs in the narration.

Listening to an album by Ayreon is an adventure. You can’t buy the digital version and put it on your Ipod. The music has to be listened to in the same order and the songs (especially on this release) really lead one onto the other. Hell it is only 4 big epics with the lyrics mettant en scène (‘scuse My French) a cast of characters telling a story.

Listening to it without the wonderful booklet is missing half the fun. Even if you know the concept (a boy with mental problems who is also a math genius is gonna work on the theory of everything, the equation holding the universe together with his father, to sum it up), you barely can understand what is happening to the characters. Even if you get the lyrics out of the net, you’ll probably not get the didascalies and flavour text that describe the scenery (told you it’s like an Opera)

So you get it and play it on the cd player (or Vinyl). You sit back and enjoy the story at it unfolds.

You’ve got these 4 tracks divided in 42 ones but you cannot listen to them at random, they all lead one into the other (except the 4 majors one)

As usual, this album is a typical Ayreon album. From the first riff or melody, you recognise the touch of Arjen. Fan of diversity beware, Arjen like Woody Allen does seemingly the same stuff over and over but hell, he sure knows how to make a good, solid guitar riff.

For those who do not know, it’s prog a bit metally because Arjen is very inspired by 70ies prog, pink floyd (“what have we done ?” ) and Maiden , Led Zep…

So you know what to expect if you know the lad but he does not deceived and stills knows how to shape a nice, intriguing story.

If not, then you‘re in for a treat, do purchase the cd or vinyl, especially with the DVD to boot (so you can see the building of this fantastic stuff. And Arjen always put on some funny stuff in it worth watching it even though, as the usual  promotional dvd goes, everybody is sooo happy to work with everybody… must be the hippie  way of life. ^^) so you can really experience the full power of this grand brand new prog rock opera.

On the side minor note (cause when you love, you cannot help to bicker and pester), I must grind my teeth a bit as the singers (the few) do not seem to sound much apart for my poor ears (maybe the father and the prodigy ARE supposed to sound alike) but just listening I sometimes do not know which one is singing.(need the book let, need the booklet !)

And as a friend of mine noticed (and I know it applies also to some male characters too, especially here), women tend to really have, how to put it, not very gratifying appellation. The girl, the mother… whereas you have prodigy, teachers, psychiatrist (yes rival and father too). But maybe next time the genius can be a girl too hey what do you say Arjen ?

http://www.arjenlucassen.com/content/