Ayreon/Arjen Lucassen Thread (Star Three on the way)

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Ska-bump!

No news.......anyone? 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I checked Arjen's website last night. Nothing so far. I did read that he's only working with vocalists he hasn't used before, so that could be interesting.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea I heard that. Maybe Ross Jennings or Michael Eriksen would be interesting!

[abydos]

But... I want Anneke in another Ayreon album!

[Nick]

I've been meaning to get into this band/project for a while, but the huge cast of special guests on the albums kind of turns me off. I've noticed that they've used some of my favorite singers, like Anneke van Giersbergen, but it sounds kind of gimmicky to be honest. I'm not sure if this will make any sense but are all the vocalists used well, like on Devin Townsend's Deconstruction where they all blend in with the music as if they're band members, or does it sound like they're just there for the sake of having an all-star cast?

Well, I'm probably a bit of an Arjen fanboy, but I've always thought that the vocalists were utilized very well. If you're new to Ayreon, I'd recommend you check out The Human Equation first, as most people consider it his best.

I really like 01011001 as well, but there are so many singers on that one, none of them have space.

That's my (slightly) educated opinion. Hope it helps.

I would say, with the exception of 01, one of Arjen's greatest talents has been getting the most out of vocalists and making them shine. And Anneke is fantastic with Ayreon.

[Perpetual Change]

The Human Equation hasn't aged well with me. It IS the best vocalist utilization/line-up on any Ayreon album, but instrumentally it just isn't as good as the others. For that, I have to turn to Electric Castle.

Though, yeah, I don't turn to Ayreon very much at all, and barely listened to Ajren's solo record.

[ColdFireYYZ]

I've been meaning to get into this band/project for a while, but the huge cast of special guests on the albums kind of turns me off. I've noticed that they've used some of my favorite singers, like Anneke van Giersbergen, but it sounds kind of gimmicky to be honest. I'm not sure if this will make any sense but are all the vocalists used well, like on Devin Townsend's Deconstruction where they all blend in with the music as if they're band members, or does it sound like they're just there for the sake of having an all-star cast?

Well, I'm probably a bit of an Arjen fanboy, but I've always thought that the vocalists were utilized very well. If you're new to Ayreon, I'd recommend you check out The Human Equation first, as most people consider it his best.

I really like 01011001 as well, but there are so many singers on that one, none of them have space.

That's my (slightly) educated opinion. Hope it helps.

I didn't see this until today, but I still haven't checked ou Ayreon. I'll add THE to my wish list. Thanks!


(edited for spelling)

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

No problem, man.

[Cyclopssss]

Ed Warby, drummer for Ayreon, posted this on his facebook yesterday.



Setting up for Ayreon recordings at Sandlane Recording Facilities — met Maarten de Peijper.

Knowing Ed, drums for the new Ayreon are being recorded as we speak! 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

^^That was exactly what i needed, thanks! 

[Jaq]

Back to the vocalist thing-I prefer when albums have guest singers performing the vocals that you get, at most, two in a song. It was kind of getting to the point with Aryeon in particular where every song was being sung by so many people you needed charts to keep track of them, and I think that's one of the reasons I kind of soured on Arjen Lucassen's music, it became, for lack of a better word, gimmicky. There's also the problem where he plays damn near every instrument, uses the same drummer over and over, and the albums are all produced identically. It's like, why buy a new one when I got the Universal Migrator Pt 2 right there?

[Cyclopssss]

Mmmm....things are moving fast.....



Finished song #2 which puts us... halfway 

[Cyclopssss]

Back to the vocalist thing-I prefer when albums have guest singers performing the vocals that you get, at most, two in a song. It was kind of getting to the point with Aryeon in particular where every song was being sung by so many people you needed charts to keep track of them, and I think that's one of the reasons I kind of soured on Arjen Lucassen's music, it became, for lack of a better word, gimmicky. There's also the problem where he plays damn near every instrument, uses the same drummer over and over, and the albums are all produced identically. It's like, why buy a new one when I got the Universal Migrator Pt 2 right there?

Yeah, he´s practically professed to this himself in several interviews. As for the working with the same drummer thing...that´s just a luxury problem, Ed´s one of best, diverse rock-prog-metaldrummers in the country. So why change?

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Mmmm....things are moving fast.....



Finished song #2 which puts us... halfway 

Halfway? what does he mean?....he only plays on 4 tracks?

[SomeoneLikeHim]

Maybe there only is 4 tracks

[Big Hath]

that would really surprise me

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Well he confirmed that it's a double album so only 4 track is unlikely unless he's gone major prog on us. 

[The Letter M]

Well he confirmed that it's a double album so only 4 track is unlikely unless he's gone major prog on us. 

It's his version of Tales From Topographic Oceans.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he did that - it would be an amazing departure to the usual concept album format he follows. By doing 4 epics of 20-30 minutes in length, he automatically sets up the vinyl release by doing four sides, one for each song. I'd be interested in hearing epics with multiple vocalists in them, rather than single shorter songs with one or two vocalists being featured.

If Arjen has gone 'major prog' on us, you can bet that his album MIGHT have four SONGS, but they may be tracked by their movements to allow for easier digestion and listening. Each epic may have 4-7 parts, so really, the album could have up towards 25-28 tracks, but still only 4 songs.

-Marc.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Well he confirmed that it's a double album so only 4 track is unlikely unless he's gone major prog on us. 

It's his version of Tales From Topographic Oceans.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he did that - it would be an amazing departure to the usual concept album format he follows. By doing 4 epics of 20-30 minutes in length, he automatically sets up the vinyl release by doing four sides, one for each song. I'd be interested in hearing epics with multiple vocalists in them, rather than single shorter songs with one or two vocalists being featured.

If Arjen has gone 'major prog' on us, you can bet that his album MIGHT have four SONGS, but they may be tracked by their movements to allow for easier digestion and listening. Each epic may have 4-7 parts, so really, the album could have up towards 25-28 tracks, but still only 4 songs.

-Marc.

I fully agree, i would totally accept that! 

[Cyclopssss]

If I read the ´between the lines comments´ right, that first song might have been a half hour long, so..... 

[SomeoneLikeHim]

Oh man, I'm getting real pumped now (pr0gbanging)

[Buddyhunter1]

...or maybe he's just recording the songs out of order, and by song #2 he means the second song on the album, not the 2nd song he recorded.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

It'd be unusual for Arjen to do a really long song. He normally doesn't go much past 10-12 minutes.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

...or maybe he's just recording the songs out of order, and by song #2 he means the second song on the album, not the 2nd song he recorded.

Yea but he said "halfway"!

[Cyclopssss]

What´s also possible, is that there´s other drummer(s) involved. But who knows...

[Cyclopssss]

Another quote from Ed:

´People who know me well are no doubt aware that I'm hardly ever satisfied with my own work, but I gotta say I'm quite proud of the Ayreon recordings we did this week. As usual Arjen and I worked out the arrangements together, in that weird semi-telepathic way, and there's lots of cool, inventive stuff going on!

Just thought I'd share that with y'all.´

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

^^Awesome! And also:

We finished recording drums for the new Ayreon album. As expected Ed Warby did an AMAZING job again!

[Cyclopssss]

Arjen: We finished recording drums for the new Ayreon album. As expected Ed Warby did an AMAZING job again!

[Lolzeez]

Man,this is gonna be good.

[Cyclopssss]

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

All right! Won't be long now.

[Cyclopssss]

Creation!!!  — met Arjen Anthony Lucassen. (posted by René Luyt (studio-tech)

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Small studio report from Arjen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1N2_YVCGbA

I felt some Into The Electric Castle vibes over that. Interesting! 

[abydos]

That violin part sounded so sweet!

[BlackInk]

Came to post that. Most of it sounds pretty cool, some of it, a liiittle less cool.