THE ASPIE PROJECT

Half of Ayreon plays in this project, and the touch of Arjen Lucassen obviously permeates the album, but this is not amother Lucassen's side project. The story of the composer Mike van den Heuvel and his autism is told in the band's bio, so I'll go directly to the music. There is a narrator. Arjen Lucassen in person, and the presence of speeches is in my opinion a little excessive. This is not Journey to the Center of the Earth. Anyway, it's not so invasive. Just the "Diagnosis". It sounds like the last track of Kayak's Nostradamus.

There are different singers, as usual when Lucassen is in, and as usual they are all incredibly skilled. They are not named in the lineup, strange. There's good metal, heavy guitars, but also a strings ensemble. I like the sound of cello and strings fit very well in the calmer parts.

The first two tracks are introductions, the first real song is Childhood Part 2, which is one of the album's best. Coma follows very hard, while Education can be considered a regular Ayreon track.

From the track titles, it's clear that the concept is about the life of somebody from his birth, and from the bio we know that's a self-biography. Friendship is a ballad and if it wasn't for the strings intro and the powerful chorus, I'd say that's the weakest track of the album.

Maybe it's the arrangement, but Relationship seems to come directly from The Human Equation. Things don't change much with "Little Box". Divorce, instead, is theatrical and the male vocalist sounds very desperate. The distorted guitar solo sets the mood, but I would have kept it a little dissonant as when it starts.

A gift Disguised is strangely chaotic. It seems that the various chords are put in a randomic sequence. Not bad also this, but we are close to the album's conclusion and this has the effect of The Trial on Pink Floyd's The Wall: a good one but disconnected from the rest of the album.

The closer, Reflection, is a piano solo piece with some classical influence. I would have expected a powerful rock track, but this is a good enough to end it.

So, not a masterpiece, but enjoyable, especially if you like Ayreon and Lucassen's output in general.