Label: Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group
Release date: 9/25/2020
Production: Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Album length: 80:51 min
Genre: Progressive Rock
Rating: 7.0/10
“Transitus” is the title of the latest prog metal/prog rock opera, written, composed and conceptualized by Arjen Anthony Lucassen and his perennially ambitious project Ayreon. Arjen originally didn’t plan to release “Transitus” as an Ayreon album at all, but under some other banner. He later changed his mind and once again invited a string of prestigious names from the music world to join in.
The vocal parts, i.e. the roles of the individual characters in the “Transitus” concept, are divided among a host of well-known singers: Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, Seventh Wonder) as Daniel, Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber) as Abby, Paul Manzi (ex-Arena) as Henry, Simone Simons (Epica) as the Angel of Death, Amanda Somerville (Trillium) as Lavinia, Marcela Bovio (ex-Stream of Passion) playing three characters, drummer Johanne James (Threshold) as Abraham, Dianne van Giersbergen (Ex Libris) as Soprano and Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) as Father.
Keeping Arjen company on the instrumental side of “Transitus” are two masters of their craft, guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani and Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth). One big oddity of “Transitus” is that it’s only the second Ayreon album not to feature Ed Warby on drums. This time he was replaced by Juan van Emerloot, an old acquaintance of Arjen’s who once played with Lucassen’s first band, Vengeance. By Arjen’s own account, the (temporary) swap of Warby was also meant to prove that this is no ordinary Ayreon album. The prestigious guest in the role of the story’s narrator is this time the legendary English actor Tom Baker, who rose to fame between 1974 and 1981 as the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC’s cult sci-fi series Doctor Who.
There are few actors of the ‘old English school’ left who’d suit a concept like this better than Baker, since the man seems born to narrate a gothic, spine-chilling tale set in the 19th century, in the middle of Victorian England. Sadly, though, there’s absolutely too much of his narration, especially on the second disc, and over time it can get wearing for plenty of listeners. The gothic concept of “Transitus” is completely different from previous Ayreon concepts, which were mostly sci-fi flavored, and that was one of the main reasons Arjen had doubts about whether he shouldn’t rather release it under some other project. As it soon turns out, his doubts were entirely justified.
Compared to previous Ayreon concepts, “Transitus” is a big step backwards: instead of an ambitious, intelligent, provocative and innovative story, we got something closer to a Disney take on classic European fairy tales than to a dark, gothic film directed by Tim Burton. The story is incredibly flimsy and tells of two different worlds: the material one, embodied by Victorian London, and the spiritual one, where the ghosts live.
The central character is a wealthy, naive young guy named Daniel. His own father kicks him out of the house because he had an affair with their maid Abby, who was apparently interesting to both rich men. Plenty of guardians of political correctness who don’t get the historical context may roll their eyes here, since the ‘femme fatale’ maid is played by the black singer Cammie Gilbert. Daniel meets a tragic death, and from then on his ghost tries in various ways to make contact with Abby and prove her innocence in his death. Daniel soothes his grief by talking to a statue of a Roman soldier in the middle of his father’s estate, which comes to life and speaks in his mind. By the end of the story, despite the diabolical scheme of his false friend Henry and the seductive, female version of the Angel of Death and her furies, Daniel manages to make contact with Abby, and the lovers are finally united in Transitus, the world of spirits, i.e. the dead. In short, there’s no point wasting too many words on the “Transitus” concept, and the big question is whether the comic book released alongside the album will fix the rather pale impression.
The third and perhaps biggest flaw of “Transitus” is the unconvincing vocal interplay between the central male and female protagonists, played by Tommy Karevik and Cammie Gilbert, because the real magic between them just never happens, or at least not the kind of magic we were usually used to from past Ayreon male-female duets. Cammie has a pretty specific vocal register and an interesting tone that probably clicks in her band Oeans of Slumber, but in a duet with Tommy, who is as expected strong in the role of a solo singer, she comes across as overly off-key and almost predatory, which doesn’t suit her role as Daniel’s fragile, departed lover at all. In some other role her vocal approach would probably have worked great.
The rest of the singers mostly deserve praise, although the album also has some not-so-bright moments where they bellow somewhat off-key over one another, like on the slightly annoying “Condemned Witout a Trial”. Among the women, this goes especially for the excellently disposed Simone Simons in an unusual role for her, as the sinister yet seductive Angel of Death. The red-haired metal diva shines particularly on the track “This Human Equation”. It’s also great to hear a superb vocal performance from Paul Manzi, who, after leaving Arena, with whom he worked fruitfully for almost ten years, definitely deserves greater recognition. Paul stands out especially on “Talk of the Town”, which is among the more successful moments of “Transitus”.
Instrumentally, this is a somewhat heavier, more gothic and ambiently gloomier Ayreon effort than usual, at times closer to Arjen’s other projects, like The Gentle Storm, but given the advance word on the nature and concept of “Transitus”, we kind of expected that. The individual instrumentalists did flawless work, and all fans of Joe Satriani are sure to enjoy his guitar soloing on “Get Out! Now!”, which was also released as a single. It’s precisely the songs that came out as singles, like “Hopelessly Slipping Away” and the aforementioned “Get Out! Now!”, “This Human Equation” and “Talk of the Town”, that are among the best moments of this ‘hot-and-cold’ album. The unconvincing vocal chemistry between the two lead singers unfortunately means most of the compositions, starting with the opener “Daniel’s Descent into Transitus”, just never come to life, while between the individual tracks there’s also an absolutely excessive number of ‘fillers’, two minutes long at most, where Baker’s spoken word reigns.
“Transitus” would definitely have been much better off released under the name of one of Arjen’s other projects, such as The Gentle Storm, Guilt Machine or Stream of Passion, rather than Ayreon, as was originally planned, but in the end the economic logic of guaranteed profit won out again. It’s a shame, because the album isn’t without its upsides. With a somewhat shorter running time, a limited number of narrations, wittier structures for the individual pieces, a more intelligent and interesting concept and above all better vocal chemistry between the two lead singers, “Transitus” would undoubtedly have turned out much better. This time, despite his always enviable ambition, it all didn’t quite come together for Arjen, and “Transitus” may well end up in the shadow of its far more interesting, sci-fi flavored Ayreon predecessors.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
CD1.:
1. Fatum Horrificum (A] Graveyard, B] 1884, C] Daniel And Abby, D] Fatum, E] Why?!, F] Guilty)
2. Daniel’s Descent Into Transitus
3. Listen To My Story
4. Two Worlds Now One
5. Talk Of The Town
6. Old Friend
7. Dumb Piece Of Rock
8. Get Out! Now!
9. Seven Days, Seven Nights
CD2.:
1. Condemned Without A Trial
2. Daniel’s Funeral
3. Hopelessly Slipping Away
4. This Human Equation
5. Henry’s Plot
6. Message From Beyond
7. Daniel’s Vision
8. She Is Innocent
9. Lavinia’s Confession
10. Inferno
11. Your Story Is Over!
12. Abby In Transitus
13. The Great Beyond
Musicians:
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, xylophone, Dulcimer, toy piano
Vocalists:
Tommy Karevik
Cammie Gilbert
Amanda Somerville
Dee Snider
Marcela Bovio
Simone Simons
Johanne James
Michael Mills
Dianne van Giersbergen
Caroline Westendorp
Dan J. Pierson
Jan Willem Ketelaers
Wilmer Waarbroek
Will Shaw
Marjan Welman
Lisette van den Berg
Tom Baker – narration
Noa Gruman – orchestrations for Hellscore Choir
Hellscore Choir – choir vocals
Joost van den Broek – Hammond organ, piano
Ben Mathot – violin
Jeroen Goossens – flute, whistles
Jurriaan Westerveld – cello
Alex Thyssen – horn
Joe Satriani – guitar
Marty Friedman – guitar
Patty Gurdy – Hurdy gurdy
Juan van Emmerloot – drums
Jan Willem Ketelaers – backing vocals
Wilmer Waarbroek – backing vocals
Will Shaw – backing vocals
Marjan Welman – backing vocals
Lisette van den Berg – backing vocals
