No posts about it in almost a month, when the album is only a few months old, is probably not a good sign, but how good is Transitus? I kind of forgot it was coming out and was trying to decide if I want to buy it or not. Ayreon isn't really an auto-buy for me anymore.
For me, I kind of drifted from Ayreon/Transitus lately due to TFK's Islands coming out, and a few other new releases taking up my time, but I have gone back and listened to it a few times in the last few weeks, and it still holds up for me.
It's shorter than your average Ayreon album, about as long as The Theory Of Everything. As Arjen has said, it's more musical-ish than his previous works, mostly due to it originally being a film script. The vocalists are all very well suited to their parts, and I've gotta give props to Tommy and Cammie for being such strong leads on this album. Tom Baker is also an excellent narrator, but I know that some folks didn't really care for the narration at all, but it definitely makes the album stand out among other Ayreon releases.
It's certainly different, but I think that's what gives the album its charm. The accompanying comic book is a great visual treat and makes me want comics for other Ayreon albums like The Theory Of Everything, The Source, and 01011001.
Definitely give it a spin at least a few times to see if you like it, but I can understand why it might not be for everyone, especially for those who prefer Arjen's heavier, more aggressive material. Transitus is a bit more proggy and and less metal, but it does have some good heavy moments throughout.
-Marc.