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

[Adami]

I dunno. This is just sounding....like Ayreon. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy for a new Ayreon album. And even though this is about movies and not the Ayreon story, the music (and everything else) just seems...Ayreon and not very Star One ish at all.

[Ben_Jamin]

I dunno. This is just sounding....like Ayreon. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy for a new Ayreon album. And even though this is about movies and not the Ayreon story, the music (and everything else) just seems...Ayreon and not very Star One ish at all.

Star One, for me, is like another aspect of Arjens Sci-Fi fantasy world that includes Ayreon, Star One, and his solo album.

I view Star One like the Star Trek crew going throughout the galaxies in their space ship visiting many vast worlds.

It's a way for me to explain how Arjen makes the music and how artists, even through different bands, can end up making music that sounds similar to another project. To me that is the Arjen sound, and has nothing to do with Ayreon, Star One, or his Solo album "Lost In The New Real" sounding similar in sound.

It has to do with the type of music Arjen wants to make, and Star One is his extravagant Metal Space Crew venturing off across into Sci-Fi land. While Ayreon is his conceptual space rock Opera epic, and includes his folk aspects. Which the folk aspect is heard in The Gentle Storm and Stream of Passion, and I view this as the human aspect of Arjens musical sound and style.

[Grappler]

I dunno. This is just sounding....like Ayreon. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy for a new Ayreon album. And even though this is about movies and not the Ayreon story, the music (and everything else) just seems...Ayreon and not very Star One ish at all.

I totally agree.  Star One was where he went full-on metal.  So far, the music hasn't sounded very heavy like the last two Star One records did.  The guessing games are interesting, but I really want a full song to see how it all sounds.

[Kwyjibo]

And the album cover, while not bad, is more in the Ayreon style than Star One.

[Ben_Jamin]

You know. I wonder how many albums Star One is contracted for?

[The Letter M]

You know. I wonder how many albums Star One is contracted for?

Given that they seem to come out once per decade, I think they're done on an as-written basis and not for any long-term contractual agreement.

-Marc.

[ErHaO]

It sounds more like Ayreon to me and the cover is totally Ayreon. Thus far everything sounds fantastic though and I love the cover. Though I will say I think Universal Migrator and Star One (the first record) seem stylistically close to me. I suppose the main distinction for Arjen is that it is not a rock opera and the lack of folk/classical instrumentation

[Ben_Jamin]

It sounds more like Ayreon to me and the cover is totally Ayreon. Thus far everything sounds fantastic though and I love the cover. Though I will say I think Universal Migrator and Star One (the first record) seem stylistically close to me. I suppose the main distinction for Arjen is that it is not a rock opera and the lack of folk/classical instrumentation

I noticed that too while listening to Space Metal. It did sound like the heavier The Flight of The Migrator.

Star One could very well be Arjens outlet for this more metal and heavier style without any folk flutes and all that stuff that is in Ayreon.

[jingle.boy]

Star One could very well be Arjens outlet for this more metal and heavier style without any folk flutes and all that stuff that is in Ayreon.

You're just figuring this out now!?!? 

I'm with you guys 100% on the cover.  The solo snippet from Vai doesn't sound exactly Star One like - but then again, neither does It All Ends Here (the song).  I'm not stuffed at all based on the 40 second clips we heard throughout the vocalist guessing games.  I guess it remains to be seen .. er, heard with the instrument samples still to come.

[The Letter M]

It sounds more like Ayreon to me and the cover is totally Ayreon. Thus far everything sounds fantastic though and I love the cover. Though I will say I think Universal Migrator and Star One (the first record) seem stylistically close to me. I suppose the main distinction for Arjen is that it is not a rock opera and the lack of folk/classical instrumentation

You mean Flight Of The Migrator, which is the second part of Universal Migrator. I'm sure a lot of folks confuse the two when they say UM and they mean FOTM, though saying just Um also implies both FOTM and the first part, The Dream Sequencer. I do agree, though, that when Arjen divided his proggy and metal sides on those two albums, FOTM did end up sounding a bit Star One-ish at times.

As for Revel In Time sounding/looking like an Ayreon album, I don't blame anyone for thinking that. I *love* the album artwork, but it definitely evokes an Aryeon-feel. I'm hoping the songs are very heavy and more like the first two Star One albums than anything Arjen has done with Ayreon over the last ten years. I'm sure Arjen fans that were let down by Transitus are looking forward to a new Star One!

-Marc.

[Ben_Jamin]

Star One could very well be Arjens outlet for this more metal and heavier style without any folk flutes and all that stuff that is in Ayreon.

You're just figuring this out now!?!? 

Yeah. I never actually listened to much Star One. It wasn't until these songs appearing on Ayreon Universe did I listen to the albums.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Speaking of The Dream Sequencer, the Vai track sounds like it could have been on it, it's more in that spacey, chilled out Floyd vibe. 

[abydos]

Finally, Roy Khan and Arjen working together!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Kamelot is one of those bands that I was a big fan of fairly early on, and then just stopped listening to them altogether at some point.  I didn't even bother checking out the later albums until the last few years.  I've been rediscovering them this year though, and Karevik has been growing on me as well, which might help unlock the last few Ayreon albums some more.  This will also give me an excuse to spend some more time with Conception, which is another band I know about and have given some cursory listens to, but can't really say I'm familiar with them. 

[425]

The Black Halo is one of my favorite albums ever, and Khan is a big part of why. It's always nice when he shows up again. He sounds good on that track.

I'm more a fan of the Karevik-era of Kamelot than a lot of people are, I think. It doesn't have the sort of enthusiastic creativity of the Karma-Black Halo run, but they've found a sound that really works for them and are doing strong material in that sound. If Tommy appeals to you as a singer, it's also worth listening to Seventh Wonder, where he's really unleashed.

[Dream Team]

I’m very late to the party, just getting into this stuff through Russell Allen. Space Metal is awesome and some of my favorite Bruce Dickinson vocals are on Into The Black Hole. 

[ErHaO]

The new guessing game sounds like Irene Jansen. Who is always awesome on Arjen's albums.

And having Kahn on an Arjen record is nice! Not too big on the recent conception material, but I like Kahn for sure.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Yeah, I'm at least 90% sure that's Irene.  It's a shame she hasn't done more recording, she has too great a voice to have only done the limited amount of studio work that she's performed on. 

[jingle.boy]

As I'm listening, I'm thinking "is that Floor in the background?"   

The snippets released so far (musically and vocally) don't really shout out Star One to me.  Kinda sounds more like Transitus - the sequel.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

It feels more like unheard material from The Source and The Dream Sequencer so far to me. 

[wolfking]

Just realising now about this.  I've drifted off Arjen the last couple as I'm outgrowing his style truthfully but always enjoyed Star One.

I'll check the samples later.  Vai and Khan being involved though is good stuff.

[Ben_Jamin]

The Charismatic Voice just today released a reaction video for "Everybody Dies"

https://youtu.be/w1Sbn5TpIzM

I like her reaction to Mike Mills and that was literally my same reaction when hearing this live version. And Ayreon Universe is what made Mike Mills on of my all time favorite vocalists.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Her channel is fun to learn about applied vocal techniques.  I enjoyed her ones on "The Day That The World Breaks Down" and "Valley of the Queens" as well.  I still haven't checked out Toehider, Mills is fun in limited doses, but I'm not sure I could take a whole album of him. 

[The Curious Orange]

I love The Charismatic Voice, she really reminds me of why I fell in love with metal in the first place, watching her listen to Bruce Dickinson or Ronnie James Dio for the first time takes me back to when I listened to them for the first time, all those years ago. Plus she notices so many little nuances that have never occurred to me. She's so open minded about the music she listens to, which is wonderfully refreshing.

[The Curious Orange]

Finished up my Ayreon run-through.

Transitus is not good and pretty much totally forgettable.  Yowza.

100% agreed on Transitus. Biggest disappointment of the year for me.

I think it had the potential to be a good album, but all that spoken stuff between the songs just totally ruined it for me.   It's one thing when you have those spoken parts between 6, 7 and 8 and 10 minute tracks (ItEC), but when all the tracks are 2, 3 and 4 minutes long and you put as much as a minute of spoken stuff between EVERY track, I tried listening a few times I could never even make it through the first disc without moving on to something else.  I hope he keeps that stuff to a minimum on the new Star One album

That spoken word stuff is TOM FRIKKING BAKER! That man could read the phone book and it would be a joy to listen to. Besides, I've always maintained that Transitus succeeds in being everything that The Astonishing was trying to be but wasn't.

[ErHaO]

As I'm listening, I'm thinking "is that Floor in the background?"   

The snippets released so far (musically and vocally) don't really shout out Star One to me.  Kinda sounds more like Transitus - the sequel.

This I don't hear, at all. Ayreon for sure, but way more Universal Migrator pt II and The Source (which was initially planned as a Star One album, right?) to me.

[Zook]

Irene pronounced her last name with a J and not a Y, so now I'm really confused.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I sometimes wonder if people who are "famous" in multiple countries are much more fluid about pronunciation.  They're constantly being interviewed by people who speak a different primary language than them, so they probably hear their name pronounced different ways.  So either they don't mind or care, or depending upon the intended audience, might go with what they perceive might be a more common or easier pronunciation even if it is isn't technically accurate. 

[ErHaO]

I sometimes pronounce my name differently in English as well, as it tend to flow better when talking EN. And Irene sounds like she has spent quite some time in the UK or with English people.

That said, I checked and Floor pronounced Jansen the Dutch way in the Star One reveal.

[Adami]

Yea, her accent in English has a bit of a British sense to it, so I can see that impacting how she chooses to say her name.

And her clip is the one that sounds most like Star One to me!

[ErHaO]

I recognised Marcela, but had to do a double take as it sounds like she gave it all here. Anyways, nice to see her take the lead on a new Ayreon track!

And Tony is whatever to me, but the song snippet sounded cool.

Also, videoclip tomorrow!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Marcela sounded like she was doing a bit of a Floor impression in parts there, which threw me off.  Glad to see her getting the spotlight again though.  I wish Arjen would release an album with the guide vocals that she and Marjan Welman have done.

[ErHaO]

Marcela sounded like she was doing a bit of a Floor impression in parts there, which threw me off.  Glad to see her getting the spotlight again though.  I wish Arjen would release an album with the guide vocals that she and Marjan Welman have done.

Transitus had the guide vocals as a bonus disc in the earbook. Hopefully future (re)releases will do the same, I think it is a nice bonus feature.

[jingle.boy]

First single is out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ADV7NYDfQs

Damn... I have a work call in 3 minutes, so this 10-min song will have to wait.   

[Ben_Jamin]

Ooo...I like the lineup.

Although...darn Arjen for making this different than what is going to be on the album. But if he can combine them both, then I may end up doing the same for the other songs and this one. 😂