Couldn't find any other general Ayreon topic.
From Arjen's Twitter:
Happy 2011 all, thanks for making Star One a success! No touring though, sorry... Next up is my solo album, I feel really inspired :-)
Regarding "solo album"... Do you think he means another Ayreon album with different guest vocalists and musicians as before, or really a solo album with just him on vocals and all instruments (maybe except drums)?
I didn't see a definative answer to this, so here goes (this is from his official website, and is a bit of an old update):
Since finishing the latest Star One album last year (2010), Arjen has been hard at work on his next release: a solo album! It’s been something he’s wanted to do for a long time:
I’ve been wanting to record a solo album with just me singing for about 10 years now. But I always seem to come across singers whom I would like to work with, so my last solo attempts have turned into an Ayreon, Star One and Guilt Machine releases instead! But now the time is right and I feel very inspired!
Arjen is handling the lead vocal duties as well as playing all the guitars, keyboards, and bass. There will be one guest vocalist just for backing vocals, and some guest instrumentalists as well.
What should fans expect with regard to the album’s sound and style? As Arjen puts it:
This is turning out to be quite an eclectic album, with widely varied styles like prog, folk, psychedelica, atmospheric, and a heavy bit here and there. So with all this variation, you could say that this is an album for open minded listeners! As a reaction to the dark feel of my last album, this album will have a more positive, upbeat feel overall. Conceptually it could be compared to a song-oriented Ayreon album (without all the guest singers, of course), as all the songs are linked to a central theme. I’ve just started writing the lyrics, so it’s too early to reveal any details about the concept. I can say however, that it will be a personal album, one from the heart. I haven’t enjoyed myself like this in years!