Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ayreon
Label: Music Theories Recordings
Release date: April 28, 2017
Length: 88:33
Rating: 4/5
Dutch multi-instrumentalist and composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen, who has been thrilling fans with his prog metal/prog rock outfit Ayreon since 1995, is back with a new rock opera titled »The Source«. In keeping with the long-standing Ayreon tradition, it’s a concept project that takes Lucassen back to his beloved sci-fi turf. »The Source« is a prequel to the album »01011001« (2008) and also kicks off an ambitious concept saga. Once again Arjen got help from a whole galaxy of guest musicians from all corners of the globe. Unlike its predecessor »The Theory of Everything« (2013), which featured a healthy number of prog rock legends, Arjen’s guests on »The Source« mostly come from the worlds of progressive metal and power metal. He has worked with most of them before, breaking the unwritten Ayreon rule of inviting a fresh batch of guests for every new album.
So a few ‘old acquaintances’ are back behind the mic on »The Source«, like James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Simone Simons (Epica), Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Floor Jansen (Nightwish) and Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, Seventh Wonder), while the best-known new face among the vocal guests, at least for the metal crowd, is Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me). With his extreme metal ‘growls’ used in healthy doses, he adds some welcome contrast to an elite lineup of top-notch singers with ‘clean’ vocal styles. As per Ayreon tradition, every singer plays a specific role in the »The Source« concept, and for the most part they’re pretty convincing.
The interplay and contrast between male and female vocals is once again captivating at various points. The operatic qualities of both female singers, Simons and Jansen, really get to shine, while the male singers, this time coming mainly from prog metal and power metal, mostly do a good job in their roles. Arjen knows exactly where to deploy which singer to tell the story of »The Source« successfully. There are more new faces among the guest instrumentalists, with cult keyboardist Mark Kelly (Marillion) and the two guitar virtuosos Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) and Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats, ex-Asia) standing out. All three contributed a solo on their instruments to selected tracks, while Ed Warby is once again behind the drum kit. Warby has been working with Arjen, who again played most of the instruments on »The Source« himself, since 1998.
»The Source« is somewhat heavier, more prog metal and more guitar-driven than its predecessor »The Theory of Everything«, which leaned closer to progressive rock. In every other respect it’s a typical Ayreon album, though the once thrilling, exciting recipe has over the years become a bit too predictable. Arjen will have to shake up a few things in his songwriting and arranging in the near future, and maybe add a few eclectic influences from other genres. Luckily, there are still plenty of string arrangements and flute, even if they take a back seat to the guitars. There’s no doubt the album is full of great compositions, as the dramatic opening epic »The Day the World Breaks Down« already proves, and it will surely wow the longtime fans. The best moments on »The Source« include that opening epic, »Sea of Machines«, which with its interesting use of strings sounds a bit like classic Kansas, the energetic prog rock/metal hybrid »Star of Sirrah«, the Celtic ballad »All That Was« with both female singers on lead vocals, the pompous »Aquatic Race«, the ethereal »The Source Will Flow« and the melodic rock number »Journey to Forever«. Still, it’s really hard to single out individual highlights, since this is a quality, extremely well-balanced double album that, despite its length, has no tiresome filler.
The »The Source« concept is fairly complex and split into four parts (chronicles), but it draws heavily on numerous well-known sci-fi novels and movies, so don’t expect any great depth. At the same time, it ties in with past Ayreon concepts like »Into the Electric Castle« (1998), since the mysterious castle is mentioned again in one of the lyrics. The story is about the decline of a technologically advanced, human-like race that, once the apocalypse becomes inevitable, sets off in search of a new planet to settle, artificially adapting to the new conditions with the help of machines and advanced technology. It has been told in different forms countless times before. The fall of Atlantis was already tackled in concepts by Eloy and Pallas in the mid-seventies and eighties respectively.
»The Source« is a typical Ayreon rock opera, following the proven, well-oiled ‘space’ recipe in the hands of Arjen and his prestigious musical guests. Longtime fans will surely love it, even though it offers nothing particularly fresh compared to what we’ve heard from them over the past twenty years. Maybe Arjen’s idea of once again using almost exclusively tried-and-true vocal guests wasn’t quite as smart as it seemed, since some of the compositions remind us a little too much of earlier ideas. That’s understandable on one hand, since this is the conceptual prequel to »01011001«, but it lacks that spark of excitement and unpredictability that turned some past albums, led by »Into the Electric Castle« and both parts of the »Universal Migrator« saga (2000), into unforgettable masterpieces. Even so, it manages to take the listener on an atmospheric sci-fi odyssey, and that’s the main strength of every Ayreon studio project so far. »The Source« was originally conceived as an Arjen solo album, but by his own account it started sounding too ‘heavy’ while he was working on it. He toyed with the idea of releasing it under the name of his side project Star One, before deciding the time had come for a new Ayreon record.
Line-up
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Ed Warby – drums
Joost van den Broek (ex-After Forever) – grand and electric piano
Ben Mathot – violin
Maaike Peterse (Kingfisher Sky) – cello
Jeroen Goossens (ex-Pater Moeskroen) – woodwinds
Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) – guitar solo
Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats, ex-Asia) – guitar solo
Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged) – guitar solo
Mark Kelly (Marillion) – synthesizer solo
James LaBrie (Dream Theater) – vocals as the Historian
Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, Seventh Wonder) – vocals as the Opposition Leader
Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me) – vocals as the Chemist
Simone Simons (Epica) – vocals as the Counselor
Nils K. Rue (Pagan’s Mind) – vocals as the Prophet
Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia) – vocals as the Captain
Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) – vocals as the Astronomer
Mike Mills (Toehider) – vocals as TH-1
Russell Allen (Symphony X) – vocals as the President
Michael Eriksen (Circus Maximus) – vocals as the Diplomat
Floor Jansen (Nightwish) – vocals as the Biologist
Zaher Zorgati (Myrath) – vocals as the Preacher
Production
Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Track list
CD1 (44:07)
Chronicle 1: The Frame
1. The Day That The World Breaks Down (12:32)
2. Sea Of Machines (5:08)
3. Everybody Dies (4:42)
Chronicle 2: The Aligning Of The Ten
4. Star Of Sirrah (7:03)
5. All That Was (3:36)
6. Run! Apocalypse! Run! (4:52)
7. Condemned To Live (6:14)
CD2 (44:26)
Chronicle 3: The Transmigration
1. Aquatic Race (6:46)
2. The Dream Dissolves (6:11)
3. Deathcry Of A Race (4:43)
4. Into The Ocean (4:53)
Chronicle 4: The Rebirth
5. Bay Of Dreams (4:24)
6. Planet Y Is Alive! (6:02)
7. The Source Will Flow” (4:13)
8. Journey To Forever (3:19)
9. The Human Compulsion (2:15)
10. March Of The Machines (1:40)
