Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ayreon
Label: Transmission Records
Release: 1998
Length: 1:44:47
Rating: 5/5
Dutch musical genius Arjen Anthony Lucassen, who is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, lyricist and producer all rolled into one, revived the concept rock opera in the mid-’90s with his ambitious project (and later band) Ayreon, an idea that had long seemed to have died along with the 1970s. Reviving a long-written-off idea is his greatest achievement, but far from his only one. This master of blending prog rock and prog metal with the occasional touch of folk, classical music and electronics set brand-new standards for what a modern concept rock/metal opera should be with Ayreon’s debut »The Final Experiment« (1995).
By 1998, though, Arjen wasn’t exactly in an enviable spot because the second Ayreon album, »Actual Fantasy« (1996), the band’s only non-concept record to this day, had flopped quite badly compared to the warmly received debut. Lucassen made no secret of his disappointment, and before recording the next album he announced that if it failed too, he’d simply wrap up the Ayreon story and devote himself to other (solo) projects.
Determined to show the music world how to make a (double) rock opera of enviable sonic, atmospheric and conceptual proportions, this ambitious musical mastermind decided that »Into The Electric Castle« would be a completely different story from its predecessor »Actual Fantasy«, which was far from a bad album. First, he decided the new studio project would have a sci-fi concept, but with a less serious flavor than »The Final Experiment«. That’s why Arjen drew his inspiration for the »Into The Electric Castle« concept from some B-movie sci-fi flicks, while the basic premise (unintentionally) bears a slight resemblance to the story of Marvel’s cult comic saga ‘Secret Wars’ from the eighties.
For »Into The Electric Castle«, which Arjen wrote, arranged and produced all by himself, as well as contributing vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards, he assembled a truly impressive legion of guest musicians, with the prestigious guest vocalists standing out in particular. It made sense that Arjen would first invite his Dutch friends, led by Edward Reekers (Kayak) as the Futurist, Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) as the Indian and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering) as the Egyptian, while the lesser-known singers, Edwin Balogh as the Roman and Jay van Feggelen as the Barbarian, also did a fine job with their vocal duties.
His biggest coup, though, came when he managed to lure in the cult Scottish singer Fish (ex-Marillion) and the English vocal heavyweight Damiana Wilson (Threshold, ex-Landmarq). The renowned English solo musician Peter Daltrey (Kaleidoscope, Fairfield Parlour) proved himself as the Voice (of the alien). Among the instrumentalists, the standouts were the legendary Dutch flutist/keyboardist/singer Thijs van Leer (Focus), the English keyboard wizard Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon, Shadowland) and the Dutch keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak, ex-Camel). Each of these singers was cast as one of the characters in Arjen’s sci-fi concept. The Scottish giant Fish (fittingly enough) nailed the role of the Highlander, while Damien Wilson was just as brilliant as the Knight. Arjen himself played the Hippie, since his psychedelic-tinged vocals were tailor-made for the part.
The »Into The Electric Castle« concept goes something like this: a mysterious force pulls people from different eras and places and materializes them on an unknown planet in some other dimension. The ragtag company, utterly baffled by its new situation, consists of the Scottish Highlander, the Knight, the Roman, the Hippie, the Egyptian, the Indian, the Barbarian and the Futurist. Suddenly they hear a strange voice that guides them through the adventure and warns them of the many dangers and trials awaiting them on the way to their goal. Their salvation lies in the mysterious Electric Castle. The first dangerous trial is a strange Tree of Decision, which tells the group that one of them will have to part with life.
The Highlander is the first of the group to succumb to the trial, so on the way toward the mysterious, alluring light he stops, lies down and dies. Then, after they come across the strange garden surrounding the Electric Castle, the Egyptian spots the mysterious light and gets the feeling that her supreme god Amon Ra is calling her. She heads toward the light, lies down and dies. The rest of the odd group finally enter the Electric Castle. The Indian lets her guard down for a moment, lured by a mysterious breath of wind, which proves fatal for her, and she follows the Highlander and the Egyptian into death.
In the end the Knight, the Roman, the Hippie, the Barbarian and the Futurist face the final trial in the form of two doors. One leads to destruction and death, the other to salvation and an earthly paradise. The company has to pick the right door, the one that will bring them salvation. The first door looks distorted, sinister and grotesque, while the second is far more inviting, since it’s made of pure gold. The Barbarian gives in to his arrogance and pride and walks through the golden door, which brings him instant death. The remaining four, who have survived the toughest trial of the whole adventure, are rewarded before they go through the right door when the source of the mysterious voice finally appears before them.
It turns out the mysterious voice belonged to a lonely alien who brought them to his planet only because he was bored among the castle walls and craved games and excitement. He is then forced to send them back to their different eras and places. Just before the four step through the door of salvation, the alien tells them he’ll wipe their memories, so they’ll forget everything they experienced on his planet.
So the Hippie finds himself back in his own time and starts wondering whether his miraculous journey was just the result of too many psychedelic substances. The Futurist, after his return, can’t shake the nagging feeling that someone erased his memory with some special device. The Roman, on the other hand, comes out of the strange experience, which he explains away as part of a dream, a stronger person. And the Knight is convinced that through his dreams he managed to achieve the greatest knightly prize, the Holy Grail, which fills him with immense pride and bliss. So the ending is left open to the listener’s own interpretation of what really happened to these odd adventurers.
The musical side of the album combines some of the best elements of prog rock and prog metal, with no shortage of orchestral touches from classical music and pastoral hints of folk. The extraordinary variety of genres and arrangements, the top-notch virtuosity of the individual musicians and the brilliant vocal performances from all the guest singers are the main strengths of this conceptual work of art, whose intense atmosphere keeps the listener ‘on edge’ the whole way through, with dramatic and serene moments trading places in perfect harmony.
»Into The Electric Castle«, which was also the first collaboration between Arjen and longtime Ayreon drummer Ed Warby, runs almost two hours (an hour and 45 minutes, to be exact), and there isn’t a single boring moment on it, which is yet more proof that Mr. Lucassen was positively bursting with artistic fervor and innovative ideas. It hardly needs saying that the album also boasts excellent production, which was nothing unusual for Mr. Lucassen. The first disc opens with »Welcome To The New Dimension«, where the Voice of the alien, played by Peter Daltrey, greets the bewildered arrivals in the new dimension while electronic patterns and ethereal guitar variations flow in the background.
On the eleven-minute symphonic-prog epic »Isis and Osiris«, a particularly well-disposed Fish shines with his theatrical vocal performance, along with both female singers and their operetta-style approaches, while harmonic interplay between the keyboards and electric guitar creates a majestic atmosphere. The instrumental sections are packed with witty variations that make the dramatic mood bloom even more. In places you can clearly feel the atmospheric influence of some rock legends such as Pink Floyd (the guitar-keyboard harmonies) and Led Zeppelin (the pastoral elements). Arjen made maximum use of the traditional prog keyboards, led by the Hammond organ, mellotron and minimoog.
The incredible atmospheric contrast and the variety of arrangements and vocals suck the listener right into the heart of the concept from the get-go. »Amazing Flight« is another ambitious epic of majestic atmospheric proportions, where special guest Clive Nolan delights with his colorful and distinctive synth solos. The vocal harmonies, where every single singer gets their moment to shine, Arjen included as the Hippie, are once again a chapter of their own and can’t be praised enough. Arjen’s guitar solos weave beautifully throughout and sustain the epic mood, with plenty of subtle moments along the way. Mr. van Leer also stands out with sparkling flute variations, while both female singers do a fine job on the ethereal harmonies.
»Time Beyond Time«, where the individual characters wonder about the true meaning of their mysterious predicament, opens with a moving, ethereal intro over pastoral acoustic guitar chords, while Mr. Reekers as the Futurist, with his wonderful voice, helps build a hypnotic mood. Damien Wilson brings a brilliant vocal contrast as the Knight, who wonders whether this cosmic experience isn’t just a side effect of the Holy Grail at work. Maestro van Leer shines again with a short flute solo, while Arjen, with a spacey improvisation, once more proves why he’s one of Europe’s greatest guitar masters.
On »The Decision Tree (We’re Alive)«, which has space-rock electronic shades, Fish as the Highlander succumbs to the Tree of Decision’s warning that one of the group will die. Melodic guitar passages rule the instrumental sections and nicely sustain the mighty atmosphere. Fish is at the peak of his vocal melodrama here, backed by epic harmonies in the background. Especially entertaining within this brilliant composition is the Highlander’s vocal squabble with the philosophically kindred Barbarian and Roman over who will be the one to sacrifice himself and who will then be granted the posthumous honor. A few wild variations on the traditional keyboards, untamed, metallic drum stampedes and unpredictable feats on the electric guitar are once again a real feast for the ears of every fan of musical virtuosos.
The pastoral ballad »Tunnel Of Light«, where the group runs into a new danger in the form of the Tunnel of Light, is Fish’s (the Highlander’s) farewell song on the album, as ethereal female vocal harmonies accompany him over a pastoral, acoustic-guitar melody. The Scottish giant feels right at home in this sonic setting and delivers an unforgettable vocal performance. »Across The Rainbow Bridge« opens with a melancholic intro where Wilson in particular shines with his moving vocals, while sprawling keyboard curtains and rhythmic variations reign in the background. The multi-voiced, epic chorus built on symphonic prog metal is a chapter of its own. The keyboard section once again plays around with electronic textures, while the electric guitar this time mercilessly grinds out ‘metal notes’. Arjen has a blast here in the psychedelic vocal role of the confused Hippie.
The second disc opens with »Garden Of Emotions«, where the group faces a new trial right before the entrance to the Electric Castle. The opening section is marked by epic arrangements with gorgeous harmonies between electric guitar and keyboards. Arjen again shines as the Hippie, who in his confused state doesn’t have the faintest idea of the danger they’re in. Meanwhile Anneke van Giersbergen sees the illusion of the ancient Egyptian sun god Amon Ra and decides to walk into death. The middle section is taken over by a metal part with brutal guitar passages and a merciless drum march, while alternating vocal harmonies shift the composition back into more ethereal spheres. One of the more entertaining moments is the vocal squabble between the Roman and the Barbarian over prestige, since they have similar ideas about what reward awaits them at the end of the adventure. In the instrumental section the guitar maestro once again doesn’t hold back on his witty variations, while the dramatic mood grows by the second.
The naive Egyptian has given in to the voice of her supreme god and bid the group farewell forever, which is also the central theme of the melancholic, pastoral ballad »Valley Of The Queens«, where van Giersbergen takes the lead vocal role. On the darkly tinted »The Castle Hall«, which opens with eerie, animalistic sounds, the remaining members of the group finally find themselves in the middle of the Electric Castle. There they are once again met by the alien’s warning voice. This time Arjen opts for an interesting fusion of space rock and prog metal that, with its slow rhythmic elements, occasionally veers into doom metal. Damien’s performance as the Knight is especially interesting here, as he’s totally confused and convinced he’s back in the Middle Ages, being tested by the wizard Merlin behind the walls of the legendary castle of Camelot. In the closing section Mr. van Leer shines with a charming flute solo, joined by Lucassen with some crafty guitar variations.
»Tower Of Hope« is another track with a dark ambience, where the group faces a new trial in the form of the Tower of Hope. This time Arjen wows in the intro with a space-rock sound collage, before the track sinks into more metallic waters with a harmonic exchange of the different vocal roles. The interesting, slightly psychedelic chorus works especially well. In the closing section there’s an unexpected, short instrumental twist into the world of jazz fusion, after which the psychedelic-metal hybrid motif takes over again.
»Cosmic Fusion« has a sinister opening section, and this time it’s Sharon den Adel’s turn to say goodbye as the Indian, who suddenly feels the call of the spirits of nature and the sun beckoning her. That means this melancholic-dark track is built around her gorgeous vocals, while enigmatic synth curtains flow in the background. The other members of the group warn her it’s a lie and that death awaits her, but their warnings fall on deaf ears. The Indian walks into death, which this time appears in person through growling vocal contributions from Robert Westerholt (Within Temptation) and George Oosthoek. In the instrumental, symphonically spiced section, a wild yet dynamic dance of instruments takes over.
»The Mirror Maze«, where the remaining five find themselves in the castle’s last trial, opens with a piano arrangement and Arjen’s psychedelic vocals as the Hippie (this time channeling John Lennon quite a few times). A majestic symphonic arrangement, together with acoustic-guitar chords and ethereal vocal harmonies, builds up an epic chorus. Lucassen again doesn’t skimp on subtle guitar variations, while the atmosphere of this brilliant track keeps shifting practically nonstop.
»Evil Devolution«, a sharp critique of runaway technological progress with no oversight, features a psychedelic intro with bizarre, bubbling effects, followed by a transition into a melodramatic section with epic guitar variations. The closing part is taken over by a short space-rock section with dissonant electronic textures. On the punchy »The Two Gates« the remaining five face two doors and have to choose the right one. The Barbarian, in the vocal guise of Edwin Balogh, makes a fatal mistake and walks through the golden door, which brings him death. Fittingly, Balogh’s vocals are pushed to the front this time. The dramatic nature of the track, led by an epic chorus, is spiced with punchy, metal-minded guitar passages and an uncompromising rhythmic backbone.
»Forever Of The Stars«, where the four survivors get the puzzle unraveled through their meeting with the alien, is a short space-rock interlude with electronically manipulated narration by Peter Daltrey as the Alien. »Another Time, Another Space« is the album’s epic closer, with dramatic symphonic arrangements, where all four surviving characters, back in their own eras and places, ask themselves questions about their recent experience, since they simply can’t remember the details anymore. That means all four remaining singers successfully trade off on lead vocals over the melodic backdrop, delivering the final conceptual climax and the triumph of an unforgettable atmosphere.
»Into The Electric Castle« was the landmark work of the one and only Arjen Anthony Lucassen, setting brand-new standards for the modern rock/metal opera and helping revive interest in a concept-album genre that had all but been buried. It was a conceptual masterpiece without equal, and it didn’t just let Ayreon stay afloat on the music scene, since its success surpassed all of Arjen’s expectations, but rocketed them into the stratosphere of the most exciting names in modern prog rock and prog metal.
At the same time, with it Arjen laid the cornerstone for the long-running Ayreon tradition of rotating guest musicians, led by famous guest vocalists who mostly came from renowned bands. He managed to bring together musicians from different generations, countries and genres in a successful creative community and to knock down plenty of genre barriers. It’s hard to believe, but with his next concept project (in two parts), »Universal Migrator«, Arjen would not only reach the quality level of »Into The Electric Castle« but even create the best work of his career so far.
Line-up
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, minimoog, mellotron and keyboards, vocals (Hippie)
Edwin Balogh – vocals (Roman)
Sharon den Adel – vocals (Indian)
Jay van Feggelen – vocals (Barbarian)
Fish – vocals (Highlander)
Anneke van Giersbergen – vocals (Egyptian)
Edward Reekers – vocals (Futurist)
Damian Wilson – vocals (Knight)
Robert Westerholt and George Oosthoek – vocals (Death)
Peter Daltrey – vocals (Voice)
Ed Warby – drums
Roland Bakker – Hammond organ
Robby Valentine – piano, synth solo on “Isis and Osiris, I. Let The Journey Begin”, “Amazing Flight, I. Amazing Flight in Space” and “Tower of Hope”, mellotron on “The Mirror Maze, I. Inside the Mirror Maze”
Ernő Oláh – violin
Taco Kooistra – cello
Jack Pisters – sitar
Rene Merkelbach – synth solo on “The Decision Tree (We’re Alive)” and “Evil Devolution”, and piano on “Valley of the Queens”
Clive Nolan – synth solo on “Amazing Flight, III. Flying Colours”
Ton Scherpenzeel – synth solo on “Cosmic Fusion, III. The Passing of an Eagle”
Thijs van Leer – flute on “Amazing Flight, III. Flying Colours”, “Time Beyond Time”, “Valley of the Queens” and “The Castle Hall”
Production
Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Track list
CD1: 47:25
1. Welcome to the New Dimension (3:05)
2. Isis and Osiris (11:11)
A) Let the Journey Begin
B) The Hall of Isis and Osiris
C) Strange Constellations
D) Reprise
3. Amazing Flight (10:15)
A) Amazing Flight in Space
B) Stardance
C) Flying Colours
4. Time Beyond Time (6:05)
5. The Decision Tree (We’re Alive) (6:24)
6. Tunnel of Light (4:05)
7. Across the Rainbow Bridge (6:20)
CD2: 57:10
1. The Garden of Emotions (9:40)
A) In the Garden of Emotions
B) Voices in the Sky
C) The Aggression Factor
2. Valley of the Queens (2:25)
3. The Castle Hall (5:49)
4. Tower of Hope (4:54)
5. Cosmic Fusion (7:27)
A) I Soar on the Breeze
B) Death’s Grunt
C) The Passing of an Eagle
6. The Mirror Maze (6:34)
A) Inside the Mirror Maze
B) Through the Mirror
7. Evil Devolution (6:31)
8. The Two Gates (6:28)
9. Forever of the Stars (2:02)
10. Another Time, Another Space (5:20)
