ARJEN LUCASSEN TO RELEASE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE AYREON SAGA

ARJEN LUCASSEN TO RELEASE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE AYREON SAGA

30th January 2017 0 By Jon Deaux

AYREON announces new album ‘The Source’ ft James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (Nightwish) + More

ARJEN LUCASSEN TO RELEASE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE AYREON SAGA – THE SOURCE – ON APRIL 28

New album by the musical genius who singlehandedly brought the rock opera back to life in the mid 90’s

Pre Order HERE

THE SOURCE is an exciting new chapter in the Ayreon saga, with contributions from renowned vocalists like James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia), and Russell Allen (Symphony X). The Source will be released on April 28 through Ayreon’s new label Mascot Label Group/Music Theories Recordings.

While Ayreon’s ‘Forever/Planet Y’ saga seemed to have reached its conclusion with the album 01011001, it’s clear that Arjen Lucassen’s creative muses had other plans. The new Ayreon album The Source revisits the Forever saga, adding a whole new chapter to Lucassen’s impressive body of work. With its top-flight cast of singers and musicians, compelling songs, overwhelming sound, and intriguing story, The Source offers everything that has gained Lucassen dedicated fans worldwide since he laid the foundations of Ayreon back in the mid-90’s.

The story of The Source is set six billion years in the past relative to Earth. It begins on Planet Alpha, a world in the Andromeda system where computer intelligence has far surpassed that of humanity. Alpha is facing a massive global crisis, with ecological and political catastrophes threatening all human life. The Alphans (our human ancestors) try to save their planet by entrusting the global computer mainframe—The ‘Frame—to find a solution. Given total control of the planet, the ‘Frame reaches the logical conclusion that its creators are the cause of all the trouble. The only way to solve Alpha’s problems is to exterminate humanity. This leaves the Alphans no other option than to try and escape their horrific fate. But their escape comes at a terrible price. It’s the beginning of a story that contains everything that has made the Ayreon epics so endlessly fascinating all these years.

The international status of Ayreon enables Arjen Lucassen to write his characters with some of the most respected singers in rock in mind: James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Tommy Giles Rogers (Between the Buried And Me), Simone Simons (Epica), Mike Mills (Toehider), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Michael Eriksen (Circus Maximus), Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia), Nils K. Rue (Pagan’s Mind), Zaher Zorgati (Myrath), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), and Russell Allen (Symphony X). Special contributions were offered by guitarists Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats, Asia, Steven Wilson), Marcel Coenen and keyboard player Mark Kelly (Marillion).

Just as on his previous albums, The Source has Arjen Lucassen playing a wide variety of instruments, while the inimitable Ed Warby (o.a. Elegy, Gorefest, Hail Of Bullets) once again masterfully handles the drums.

2017 will be a particularly exciting year for Ayreon fans thanks to a unique chance to actually see Ayreon live. Limited to three exclusive performances, “The Ayreon Universe” will take place in September in the prestigious 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. This unprecedented live event features the best of twenty years of Ayreon music, brought to life by a top cast of musicians such as Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), Anneke van Giersbergen, and various others. The reclusive Arjen Lucassen himself is also expected to make a rare appearance on stage. The tickets for all concerts – 9000 in total – sold out within a day, proving once again that the Ayreon magic is still very much alive and kicking.

Track List –

CD1

Chronicle 1: The ‘Frame

01. The Day That The World Breaks Down

02. Sea Of Machines

03. Everybody Dies

Chronicle 2: The Aligning Of The Ten

04. Star Of Sirrah

05. All That Was

06. Run! Apocalypse! Run!

07. Condemned To Live

CD2

Chronicle 3: The Transmigration

08. Aquatic Race

09. The Dream Dissolves

10. Deathcry Of A Race

11. Into The Ocean

Chronicle 4: The Rebirth

12. Bay Of Dreams

13. Planet Y Is Alive!

14. The Source Will Flow

15. Journey To Forever

16. The Human Compulsion

17. March Of The Machines

Release Date

April 28, 2017

Available Formats

Earbook [4CD+DVD], Digibook [2CD+DVD], 2LP+MP3, and Digital.

Ayreon Online

facebook.com/ArjenLucassenOfficial twitter.com/arjenlucassen

youtube.com/user/ArjenALucassen

DVD Contents

01. The Day that the World Breaks Down (video)

02. Everybody Dies (lyric video)

03. Star of Sirrah (lyric video)

04. Run! Apocalypse! Run! (lyric video)

05. Behind The Scenes video

06. Interviews

07. 5.1 Audio Mix of the whole album

Earbook Specials

44 page full color book with 4 CD’s (normal tracks and instrumental tracks) plus the DVD.

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