Every week so many different albums come out that I start to have a problem with choosing the ones that I would like to present to you. This time, however, it was different. My attention was drawn to an interesting musical project of the Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen, called Ayreon. What's so special about it?
And even the fact that the previous releases are maintained in the climate of rock opera, which made it possible to conduct a comprehensive and complex plot through many albums.
However, let's take a closer look at the latest achievements. Or more precisely, even warmer, because released this month, the album entitled "The Theory Of Everything". This album is divided into four chapters, which were initially intended to be written together, creating very long songs. However, it soon turned out that this can cause a lot of difficulties for average listeners. Each chapter is divided into ten or eleven short parts. As a result, there are as many as forty-two tracks on two discs, which deviate from the usual pattern of building compositions. It is in vain to look for ordinary verses and repetitive refrains here. Each track flows smoothly into the other, which creates one big, coherent story.
"I wrote with my partner, Lori, and we wanted the story to be very clear, to make sense. Behind each character there was to be a clear motivation, we avoided difficult phrases and forced rhyme. We also gave up on repetitions, i.e. choruses. It's easy to follow the story, although the ending gets very complicated – there is room for wide interpretation."
Arjen explains. Although he is responsible for all the lyrics and music, many renowned musicians from around the world took part in the implementation of this project.Among the vocalists we will hear, among others, John Wetton, Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil, Marco Hietala from Nightwish, or Tommy Karevik from Kamelot, and among the instrumentalists Rick Wakeman (Yes), Keith Emerson (Emerson Lake and Palmer), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) and Troy Donockley (ex-Ion).By far the biggest advantage is the combination of different sounds, popular in popular music, with instruments that are present mainly in folk or even classical music. This makes it difficult to clearly determine the genre of songs. However, it is safest to qualify them to broadly understood progressive rock. Interestingly, the album was released on all currently popular media. You can buy the basic version, the same, but extended with additional DVDs, or even the most extensive, having an instrumental recording. Fans of analog gaming were also not left out. Two collector's vinyls have been enriched with further CDs. In turn, the eternally busy, supporters of portable players (including me) also have nothing to complain about. The album can be easily purchased in mp3 and FLAC formats.
"These songs are really epic, filled to the brim with instrumental passages that make it probably my most progressive work."
– Ajren Anthony Lucassen