THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

"Genius". "Masterpiece". These two words get thrown around constantly on internet forums and in discussions about Ayreon's albums. This album is no different, but for anybody who doesn't know, here's a little back story...

Ayreon is the creation of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen, with albums centred around and heavily influenced by science fiction stories and space operas. Most of the albums feature a cast of characters and tell a story, mainly linked to a "meta-story", told over most of the albums. Instead of singing and playing all the parts himself, however, Arjen assembles various musicians and vocalists from both classic rock acts(Marillion, Focus) and contemporary metal(Iron Maiden, Rhapsody, Stratovarius) alike, to enhance the depth and breadth of the experience. Indeed, most albums are almost a who's who of alternative music.

With The Theory of Everything, Arjen begins a new story for the Ayreon vehicle, with another new cast of characters, and musicians. Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson and Jordan Rudess all have guest keyboard slots, and Genesis' Steve Hackett guests on guitar. Standout vocals come from Christina Scabbia(Lacuna Coil), Sara Squadrani (Ancient Bards) and Michael Mills(Toehider). This is the first album on which Arjen does not sing himself, which is a shame as I enjoy his voice on his other work.

With runtimes similar to many feature films, the main body of Ayreon's work can be a little overwhelming at first, sometimes requiring a few listens to fully interpret the story and enjoy all the nuances. I found this album a little easier to digest, as the story was a lot less complex, with much of the scientific jargon plaguing previous albums replaced by more relatable feelings, or emotions(I remember!). As such the final realisation, or as I like to call it, the wow moment, was less satisfactory, but came quicker than say on "Into the Electric Castle". This ease of listening is compounded by the splitting of the four 20+ minute tracks into subtracks, aiding digestion of the music. A few of these subtracks are ambient, and I detect an influence of Klaus Schultz, or Tangerine Dream.

The standout component of the album for me though is the production. The guitars are tight, and Arjen's distinctive and easily recognisable keyboard/synth soars beautifully over the top. The overall sound is big, but is mixed well, with almost no clipping and nothing too prominent in the mix. Arjen seems to have a midas touch, and has this ability to bring out some of the best work from his guests. With a roster of musicians this good, and that inate ability of his, this album is worthy of the term "masterpiece", and Mr Lucassen stamps home his genius.

9/10