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The Human Equation was perhaps the greatest album ever to grace the earth. It was powerful, majestic, emotional, diverse and unique. Four years we have waited for the next album - and expectations are high. Singers like Jorn Lande, Daniel Gildenlow and Hansi Kursch cause this album to have a great deal of hype. The list of talented and respected musicians is endless, with instrumental contributions from Tomas Bodin and Derek Sherinian among others.

So, i was obviously hyped up and had great epectations for this album...lucky for us, it worked.

This album is phenomenal. The songs are exellentlly crafted - showing a maturity in Arjen's music making. You get the sense that he has really progressed as a song-writer. There is a newfound eloquence in his music. What really suprised me were the sound-effects. Previously, Ayreon had toned down on the effects, but this album is filled with them and there is a much heavier use of synths and effects. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it does offer a very different sound. Sure, its still Ayreon but the heavy electronic effects give it a slightly different sound - but dont panic, its not that drastic a change. This album is considerably heavier though. There are way more heavy, metal-type passages than there were on The Human Equation, which was more of a prog-rock album. This album is, in every sense of the word, a progressive metal album. Still, theres a healthy dose of the happier, folkier, softer passages aswell.

Standout tracks include the magnificent opener Age of Shadows, New Born Race, Ride the Comet, The Truth is Here and the climatic closer The Sixth Extinction.

I must say that i didnt enjoy this album at first. It didn't seem to me to be as good as the Human Equation or Into the Elextric Castle and seemed to lack in diversity. I soon though, after repeated listens, found the magic burried beneath the outer-layer. I ask everyone who dislikes this album to give it time - it gets infinetly better as time goes by.

It doesn't quite match up to The Human Equation, but it is definately a joint second in Arjen's catalouge along with Into the Electric Castle. I get the feeling that with Arjen's new musical maturity, Ayreon's next outing will be his best yet - and most probably his last, beacuse as one reviewer said, the story seems to be reaching a climax.