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Артист: AYREON Альбом: The Final Experiment, 1995 Жанр: progressive, rock-opera, space-rock, prog-metal Формат файла: flac, cue Ссылка: CD 3 clicks Нахождение: eDonkey/Kademlia

Tracklist:

01. Prologue 3:17
02. The Awareness 6:36
03. Eyes Of Time 5:06
04. The Banishment 11:08
05. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy 2:46
06. Sail Away To Avalon 4:02
07. Nature's Dance 2:28
08. Computer-Reign (Game Over) 3:25
09. Waracle 6:44
10. Listen To The Waves 4:59
11. Magic Ride 3:36
12. Merlin's Will 3:20
13. The Charm Of The Seer 4:12
14. Swan Song 2:44
15. Ayreon's Fate 6:56


I am not going to pick apart The Final Experiment, so ths may not be viewed as a "proper review". This is more about how this album affected -me-. I've always been a huge music lover; one who enjoys almost every genre known. I've loved new age (Synergy, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream) and most forms of rock for a long time. I've even had affinity for progressive-style rock before I knew what it was (Yes, Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons...)
I am in my late 30's and was just recently introduced (formally) to the world of prog, with Marillion, IQ and Spock's Beard being my first dates. Spock's Beard really whetted my appetite and I started looking for more. Dream Theater was next and I was highly impressed with their precision, yet their vocals seemed extraneous and they left me wanting.
Then I stumbled upon The Final Experiment. Great GODS! I had never heard anything like this before. Track after track I was smashed over the head with how marvelous it is. I was listening to it at work and found myself stalled... unable to do much of anything productive. I kept mouthing (silently) "holy ***" with each new mood change. The power and beauty of this album (and the bonus disc) just flipped a switch in my soul and lit it up.
It single-discedly transformed me from a curious and casual purveyor of progressive rock to a rabid non-blinking prog fiend!! I made it a point to quickly buy everything Arjen that I could get my mitts on. This hunger has led me to other places as well; Porcupine Tree, Pendragon, Glass Hammer, etc...
That was about 6 months ago. I've since found other Ayreon and related Lucassen works that I like even better. That said, I do feel that "The Final Experiment" is a masterpiece. I don't expect it to have the same effect on most others as it has me, but for some, it just may stroke every sweet-spot on you. This album remains one of my top-ten albums of all time and I will always perceive my first listen as a life-changing event for me. (magleto - progarchives.com)
The progressive metal outfit Ayreon is essentially just Dutch multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Arjen Anthony Lucassen (formerly of the more mainstream metal band Vengeance), plus a revolving-door cast of collaborators and guest musicians that changes from project to project. Ayreon albums are usually large-scale concept epics and sometimes rock operas, in the latter case featuring a different vocalist for each character. Lucassen formed Ayreon in 1994 and released its first album, The Final Experiment, the following year. The more ethereal Actual Fantasy followed in 1996, and from there Ayreon only got more elaborate. 1998's Into the Electric Castle was a campy, sci-fi concept work spanning two discs and featuring guests like ex-Marillion singer Fish and the Gathering's Anneke van Giersbergen. Next up was Universal Migrator, another double-disc set whose volumes were issued separately under the subtitles Part I: The Dream Sequencer and Part II: Flight of the Migrator. These featured even more guest appearances, most notably Tiamat's Johan Edlund and Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, plus current and former members of Gamma Ray, Primal Fear, Helloween, Stratovarius, and Symphony X; musicians included Rocket Scientist's Erik Norlander and ex-Gorefest drummer Ed Warby. (by Steve Huey, AMG)

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