Ayreon
Origin	Netherlands
Genre(s)	Progressive metal Progressive rock Symphonic metal Folk metal
Years active	1995–present
Label(s)	Transmission, InsideOut, Century Media, SPV GmbH
Website	http://www.ayreon.com
Members
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Ed Warby
Former members
Guest performers

Ayreon (pronunciation (help·info)) is a project by Dutch composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Progressive metal (often referred to simply as prog metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music which blends the powerful guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Symphonic metal or opera metal is a term used to describe Heavy metal music that has symphonic elements that is elements that sound similar to a Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music InsideOut (or Inside Out) is an independent Record label company specializing in the Progressive rock Century Media Records (CMR is an independent rock Record label with offices in the United States, Brazil, Germany, SPV GmbH is an independent German Record label founded in 1984 as a German distributor of Roadrunner Records. Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960, Hilversum) is a composer and musician from the Netherlands and is most widely known for his albums Edward R Warby (born 7 March 1968) was born and raised in Rotterdam and is best known as the drummer for Gorefest and Ayreon. This is a list of musicians who have contributed to Arjen Anthony Lucassen 's rock opera project Ayreon. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960, Hilversum) is a composer and musician from the Netherlands and is most widely known for his albums

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. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range 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. Rock operas, Concept albums Song cycles and Oratorios all differ from a conventional rock album which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each

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. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells An electronic organ is an Electronic keyboard instrument originally designed to imitate the sound of a Pipe organ. e. mandolins, violins, violas, celli, flutes, sitars and didgeridoo). A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The sitar ( Hindi: सितार Urdu: ستار Persian: سی تار) is a Plucked stringed instrument. The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. Lucassen writes the music and the lyrics, sings and plays instruments on all of the Ayreon albums, alongside many guest musicians. Arjen has said he will keep making Ayreon music until the day he loses love for music or until the day he dies. ^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Concept 3 Discography 3.1 Albums 3.2 Singles/EPs 3.3 Compilations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

History

The first Ayreon CD, released in 1995, is The Final Experiment, with a mixture of science fiction and medieval themes. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio See also 1995 in music (UK Musical groups established in 1995 Record The Final Experiment is a Progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A The album features thirteen singers and seven instrumentalists, most of them Dutch. The Final Experiment is often mentioned as one of the first metal operas and a reviver of the rock opera genre. Rock operas, Concept albums Song cycles and Oratorios all differ from a conventional rock album which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each Rock operas, Concept albums Song cycles and Oratorios all differ from a conventional rock album which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each The album was originally titled Ayreon: The Final Experiment, with the artist listed as Arjen Lucassen, but upon re-release, the title was changed to The Final Experiment, and the artist was changed to Ayreon. The Final Experiment is a Progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A

Actual Fantasy from 1996 is the only Ayreon album without a continuous story. Actual Fantasy is a Progressive metal album released in 1996 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996. With its individual fantasy stories, it can still be considered a concept album, though. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" There are only three singers and three instrumentalists on Actual Fantasy. Themes inspired by songs on this album can be found on later Ayreon releases, particularly the two Universal Migrator albums.

The double album Into the Electric Castle followed in 1998. A double album is an audio Album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold (especially records and Compact Discs. Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998 The album features eight singers, each playing a role of a single character, and eleven instrumentalists. Arjen has stated that he wanted this particular album to be a more flight-and-fancy-free record, or "pure escapism" than the previous albums' more serious tones, and portrayed his characters in more of a B-Movie light. The album was a huge success and is widely regarded as Ayreon's best album.

The twin Universal Migrator albums were released in 2000. See also 2000 in music (UK Musical groups established in 2000 Record labels The first album, The Dream Sequencer consists of soft, atmospheric progressive rock, whereas the second album, Flight of the Migrator, consists of a more heavy metal theme. Universal Migrator Part 1 The Dream Sequencer is a Progressive metal album released in 2000 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen, and Universal Migrator Part 2 Flight of the Migrator is a Progressive metal album released in 2000 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen Both of the albums feature around ten singers supported by many instrumentalists. One of the more notable guests was Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, who made an appearance on the Flight of the Migrator album. Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England) is a British singer Airline pilot, radio show For other uses see Iron maiden.

Shortly following Universal Migrator came Ayreonauts Only, an album generally meant to be only for diehard fans of Ayreon. Ayreonauts Only is an Ayreon album released in 2000 As the title suggests it is a CD made primarily for fans of Ayreon and contains demos and alternate The album itself was the second to not follow a specific storyline; it instead contained alternate versions (With different vocalists or instrumentalists) of existing songs, or the original demos used when recording them. In addition, it contained a preview of Arjen's then-upcoming project, Ambeon. Ambeon is a Dutch Progressive metal act a project consisting mainly of multi-instrumentalist composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen and vocalist Astrid It is the only Ayreon album not to see re-release on InsideOut.

In 2004 came The Human Equation. See also 2004 in music (UK Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels The Human Equation is the sixth album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released under the name Ayreon. As on Into the Electric Castle, there are several singers, each playing their own role. With The Human Equation, Ayreon turned away from the usual science fiction and fantasy themes with a seemingly semi-normal psychological theme. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and

Starting in 2004, after changing from Transmission Records to InsideOut, Arjen began rereleasing his Ayreon catalog on the new label, with enhancements ranging from basic (The Universal Migrator, issued as a two-disc set instead of two separate albums) to drastic (Actual Fantasy, "Revisited" with completely re-recorded drums, bass, synth and flute). See also 2004 in music (UK Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels In 2005, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Ayreon, The Final Experiment was reissued with a bonus semi-acoustic disc. Events January 1 - In most of Europe copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock-and-roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier including

At the end of September 2006, when Arjen's new studio was finished, he began making a new album entitled 01011001, which was released on January 25th, 2008. This album was noticeably darker than previous Ayreon releases, Lucassen attributes this to a depression and his divorce in the preceding year. ^[2]

On March 19th, 2008, Arjen announced a new Ayreon EP named Elected to be released in the end of April. Elected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. The EP will feature two tracks from 01011001, one from The Human Equation and an Alice Cooper cover (Elected), with vocals by Arjen and Tobias Sammet. Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer songwriter and musician whose career spans five Tobias Sammet (born November 21 1977 in Fulda, Germany) is the Vocalist and primary Songwriter of the German ^[3]

Concept

Ayreon's concept is a continuous one, with loose connections between each of the albums. The Final Experiment alluded to the events that led to The Universal Migrator albums (during the course of events in the specified album, the man using The Dream Sequencer discovers that he was, in a past life, the blind minstrel Ayreon). The Final Experiment is a Progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A The inlay booklet of the Universal Migrator double-album alludes to Into the Electric Castle, with the castle being shown in the same page with the song "Out of the White Hole," specifically the portion titled "Planet Y", home planet to the alien "Forever", who is mentioned at the middle of the song ("Forever. Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A . . remember Forever. . . "). Also, Arjen's notes at the beginning mention the possibility that the character using the Dream Sequencer on the Universal Migrator double-album (the Colonist) is indeed the Futureman on Into the Electric Castle. Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A

So far, there seems to be little connection between Into the Electric Castle and The Human Equation, except for the very final section of "Day Twenty: Confrontation", where Forever of the Stars uses The Dream Sequencer to launch "The Human Equation Program". Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A The Human Equation is the sixth album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released under the name Ayreon. At the end of the song, Forever can be heard saying "Emotions. . . I remember. . . ", pointing to the fact that he and the others of his kind don't have emotions (this was mentioned implicitly on the song "'Forever' of The Stars", from Into the Electric Castle). Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A

01011001 is the album that connects the stories from all others albums, for here it's revealed the whole Forevers' story. Throughout the first few songs, it is revealed how Forevers lost their emotions, due to the fact of depending on machines, thus explaining both experiments achieved by them (Into the Electric Castle and The Human Equation). Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A The Human Equation is the sixth album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, released under the name Ayreon. Later, it is explained that Forevers created human race, using their own DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known On the eleventh song, "The Truth Is In Here", appears Mr. L character, which is indeed the now aged Hippie, one of the eights characters from Into the Electric Castle. Into the Electric Castle is a Progressive metal two-disc album released in 1998 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A Also, this Mr. L is the prophet promised by Merlin at the end of The Final Experiment. The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the The Final Experiment is a Progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A Forevers, in an attempt to save mankind, send visions of the Earth's decay to the human race, along with a way to save the Earth. These visions are received by two scientists, who build The Final Experiment, and send these visions back in time, eventually received by Ayreon in The Final Experiment. The Final Experiment is a Progressive metal album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A At the end of the story, Forevers realize that they cannot save humankind, so they leave them to their own devices. Though the human race may be lost, there is one man (Futureman/Colonist) left alive on Mars, so the Forevers give him the Dream Sequencer. The end of 01011001 occurs on the year 2085, one year after the mankind's destruction and the great war on Earth (which is told on the second and third songs from The Dream Sequencer, "My House Of Mars" and "2084" respectively). Universal Migrator Part 1 The Dream Sequencer is a Progressive metal album released in 2000 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen, and

Discography

Albums

• The Final Experiment (1995)
• Actual Fantasy (1996)
• Into the Electric Castle (1998)
• Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer (2000)
• Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator (2000)
• The Human Equation (2004)
• 01011001 (2008)

Singles/EPs

• "Sail Away to Avalon" (1995)
• "The Stranger From Within" (1996)
• "Temple of the Cat" (2000)
• "Day Eleven: Love" (2004)
• "Loser" (2004)
• "Come Back to Me" (2005)
• "Elected" (2008)

Compilations

• Ayreonauts Only (2000)

See also

Other bands and projects by Arjen Anthony Lucassen:

• Ambeon
• Star One
• Stream of Passion

List of guests in Ayreon:

• List of Ayreon guest musicians

Bands Arjen has been a member of:

• Vengeance
• Bodine

Related genres:

• Heavy metal
• Progressive metal
• Progressive rock
• Rock Opera
• Symphonic metal

References

External links

• Official Ayreon Website
• Official Myspace page
• An interview with mastermind Arjen Anthony Lucassen @ ME Metalhour
• (Italian) Interview with Arjen Lucassen

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