01011001

Arjen Lucassen sure has evolved big time since his days as a guitarist in Dutch hair metal band Vengeance. 01011001 is the seventh regular release from his Ayreon project, and arguably the most developed of these projects so far.

Ambient and electronic music has a clear influence on the sound here, folk music influences are used quite extensively too; and the songs come across as well structured, planned and executed.

Less dramatics and less metal than in the previous releases; and not as pretentious as previous releases either. It's a concept album as the previous ones; some songs still suffer from being parts of the story more than songs as such; but overall this is a release that generally can be said to be better than his previous outings.

Some fans may be disappointed in the slightly more accessible approach musically here; but personally I think Ayreon will gain new fans with this release due to that; and in my opinion this is a very good release - highly recommended.

(and as this review is posted before release date - I'm one of the lucky ones that got a promo copy of this one if anyone wonders)

By far, Ayreon's best release to date.

I have to give it a solid five star rating because there are VERY few albums I have ever heard that accomplish this level of scope in both music and in story without one handicapping the other. I think the music is a solid four stars, and the story is a solid four stars, but the fact that they both occupy the same album is something of a rarity. Even more rare, this album shines new light on earlier works. After listening to this album, you will listen to the previous albums in this series with new ears and new insight. Quite an achievement.

I'm not sure what pushed me over the edge on this one. Perhaps it's the more melancholy tone. Perhaps it's the dramatic improvement in Arjen's skill as a lyricist. Perhaps it's the sheer scope and solidity of the story, tying together and encompassing all of the previous albums and somehow putting them into a better perspective. Maybe it's the more introspective lyrics. I've been listening to this record (and occasionally the prior releases) almost non-stop for the last month and it still keeps my attention.

I think this is the best album to get into the entire series. In a nutshell, this is the history of the enigmatic Forever of the Stars, which it turns out is also something like the history of life in the universe. Forever's quest to find the answer to life is the heart and soul of the entire Ayreon series and it finally has a clear expression in this new album. I think the music is just a bit less progressive this time, trading a bit of complexity in the arrangements for a more story-centered approach. It's a good trade off in my opinion. The music is more subservient to the story and I hope Arjen continues in this vein. It leads to a more polished whole.

Age of Shadows opens with a clear musical reference to Giorgio Moroder's score for the 1980s re-release of Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis, the great-grandfather of all science fiction cinema and one dealing with a theme not far removed from Ayreon's own. This mechano-electric tone bubbles just under the surface of the entire album, accentuated by creative use of electric guitars and synthesizers. At times I thought I was listening to Tool or even NIN, but it's always Ayreon; even the celtic influences are still there. This is a very dark album. There's not much hope in the story or in the music, though one gets the sense that perhaps Ayreon's next release will deal with that.

(Plot Spoilers Follow, Beware)

Age of Shadows is a spectacular opening number, perfectly setting the stage for the rest of the album. It paints a dark picture of the bones of Forever's homeworld, still on life support. Comatose's simple, dark arrangements mark one of the most chilling tracks from Arjen yet. We get a sense of the price of Forever's immortality and knowledge, one driven further home by Liquid Eternity.

Connect the Dots provides us with a brief snapshot of modern day life on Earth, contrasted against what we know of human history and now of Forever's home world. There are many none-too-subtle parallels to be drawn here, all of them bad for Earth. I can see some people having trouble with this track - it's one of the weaker ones, a bit off-joint, and somewhat disrupts the flow of the narrative. It still won me over after a few listens.

Beneath the Waves takes us back in time to Forever again, lamenting on what they have lost and the hopelessness of their future. Despite the inevitable end, Forever resolves to attempt a final solution, discarding morality in the process, covered in New Born Race. Ride the Comet details the experiment, which has surprising and unexpected results: humanity.

Web of Lies is by far the weakest track on the album, and is also thankfully the shortest - a bit of a love song about online relationships. I think Arjen was making allusions to the Internet's ability to disconnect people (a precursor to the total loss of emotion Forever deals with) but it feels a bit contrived. I could have done without this one as well.

In The Earth Extinction, Forever finds hope by attaching to humanity, living as some kind of psychic leech through the minds, hearts, eyes, and hands of all humanity. Intoxicated by emotion, Forever begins meddling almost immediately by guiding humanity's evolution, despite reservations about this course of action. We learn the depths of this meddling in Waking Dreams: Forever is responsible for humanity's intelligence explosion and rapid evolution. We are treated to a vision of Arjen's own mind in The Truth Is In Here. The self-reference is subtle, but it's there.

Unnatural Selection is the standout track for me on the record. Forever's machinations finally push humanity to the breaking point, with too much knowledge too fast and not enough wisdom to use it well. Everything goes wrong, and humanity takes the same disastrous turn Forever once made, but without Forever's complete knowledge mankind is doomed. The lyrics and songwriting here are delicious, some of Arjen's best work. This is quite literally the brink humanity stands on now in the real world, and Arjen is not subtle in his references, even using a sound clip from Al Gore in the music.

Forever is crushed by what has happened, and now that the fate of two races hangs in the balance, resolves to solve this Human Equation at any cost. Forever meddles with the time stream in River of Time by giving man the technology to perform The Final Experiment. Forever broadcasts the destruction of their own homeworld into Humanity's collective consciousness throughout time in E=MC2, but nothing changes and humanity's destruction finally comes to pass in The Sixth Extinction, another standout track. Towards the end, there is some hope - the Migrator returns with Forever, but to what purpose we do not yet know.

An excellent release. I'll be waiting eagerly for the next release to see what Arjen makes of this grand mess of music and scifi. It feels like we may be edging in on a conclusion of sorts...

(Science Fiction + Nu Metal) x Star One = 01011001

The Dutch Metal Maestro is not known to deliver half-baked material, and this album is certainly NOT a disappointment but it's really not hard to go through these 2 records (read heavy but light hearted music). Lucassen is again well supported: the usual Epica/ Within Temptation female vocals, the macho Iron Maiden vocals for guys, lots of super keyboard textures and layers of shredding guitars.

Hey, is it me or this is reminds me of Star One?

In fact, not only Star One, but also The Human Equation and a couple others...

Okay, this is no spoiler: this album is the same recipe of the past records that put Ayreon and co. on the map. But to me, this is a bit too close to his past works from the artwork to the plot and the music. But, frankly I didn't mind too much 'cauze you know what? It rocks hard...really hard.

The songs are fantastic, the singing is top notch and the hooks are plenty; nothing to complain! If you liked the 'sound pattern' of Star One, you cannot go wrong with this one. There's not as much folk-metal in 01011001 as I wanted to be; too bad 'cause Ayreon really excels in that matter. In the end, expect more electronica rythms than the past, and it fits good in this sci-fi tale.

On the head side, this record has everything that made Ayreon's world what it is, so no change of pace nor direction this year. Awesome melodies and production; a distinctive sound that will shake the dust of your PA without a Swiffer.

On the tale side: no surprises really (since it's an old recipe), the whole plot starts to collect dust and the electonica textures are kinda worn for 2008.

Oh Ayreon, we love your little bubble but try to be less predictable.

Nearly four years after Ayreon's renowned The Human Equation, Arjen puts out his fourth double- disc release in a row. Four years is a lot of time to really allow your material to incubate. I was personally exicted to hear his work with Daniel Gildenlow, Jonas Renkse and Anneke Van Giersbergen - three of the most powerful and/or ethereal vocalists out there. Ayreon's music allows for a lot of possibilities, so this album really had some potential.

Turns out the album shows no progression whatsoever. This is basically the last album with a different concept. The concept of the literal prog-rock opera with the multiple vocalists having dialogue and so on was a fantastic idea, but after 5 albums of basically the same thing, it's time to change. Aside from The Universal Migrator, Arjen has not really tried to experiment with the sound he created in the mid-90s, and that album basically took two of the key elemtents of his sound (space rock and metal) and made one album focusing on each and reserved one singer for each song, which really isn't stretching much. Even if each album is better than the last, after five albums, if you haven't perfected or come darn close to doing so, it's time to think of some new ideas. Unfortunately, this album doesn't even have the attribute of being better than it's predecessor, so it's of even less appeal as a consequence.

In general, the music here is humdrum and somnolent. I feel like it lacks some of the energy and quality instrumental moments from before. It's hard to get through this whole thing without multi-tasking to keep your mind active. It's not bad, but it's the same thing you've already heard with new voices and words. If that's enough to pique your interest, great; check this out. You will like it either if you've never heard an Ayreon album before, or if you don't particularly care for variety in your music. However, if you fall into the former case, just get The Human Equation, maybe one more if you really enjoy it, and you'll probably be set. That's all I have, and I am very content.

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.

What can i say? Its great. I love this album - its a piece of genius. I am a huge Ayreon fan, i love his music - and i think that The Human Equation is perhaps the greatest album of all time. This album doesnt quite reach the dizzy heights of THE, but it comes damn close.

The feeling of this album is darker, heavier and almost more industrial. There are many keyboard loops, electronic sound effects and keyboard leaden melodies. There are more heavy riffs, more usage of the seven-string and pounding metal choruses. Having said that - Ayreon hasnt gone power-metal/electro-prog. Dont worry, its still complete prog heaven. There are laods of complex melody lines, loads of interesting, powerful vocal lines and intricate arrangements - with often lush keyboards over the top. Some of the cheese factor has gone. He's toned down on the melodrama. I, personally, give that as the reason for this album not being quite as good as THE. I loved the melodrama, operatic feel of ITEC and THE - and that has been set down considerably on 01011001, but it is still Ayreon, and some songs still have the rock-opera feel to them.

Standouts would be Beneath the Waves; this song is marvelous, lush, mellow...beautiful - and has the most amazing chorus ever, so smooth and powerful. Age of Shadows; another standout, and a ripping opener - powerful, pounding and equiped with a massive chorus (and a lovely mealencholy section in the middle). New Born Race; again, a fantasic song full of loads of interesting changing sections - a real prog metal feast. Waking Dreams; this song is so incredibly beautiful - the chorus is so epic (reminiscent of The Dream Sequencer album).

I could go on about the great songs all day, they are all fantasic. It's such a great album - you can clearly tell so much effort and emotion has gone into this album - in many places it really is moving. I urge you to go and buy this, give it several spins, and see if you dont love every second of it.

A subpar concept album about an immortal and technologically advanced alien race hooked on machines, losing their emotions, and feeling hopeless about the future of the race. Seeing a comet about to collide with Earth (the one that extinguished the dinosaurs), they decided to plant their DNA on that comet. Initially, it was successful, but then humankind got hooked on machines, World of Warcraft, reality tv shows, World Wars and Myspace.

The music is carefully crafted, but for some reason, I find the music moderately dull, unoriginal, monotonous, and overlong. There are tons of talented musicians and vocalists trying to save this album, but desspite their good efforts, it was not enough. The problem is not the performance, but the songwriting, lack of diversity, and this ultra-perfect production which takes away feelings for me.

It begins with a solid, if unspectacular, Age of Shadows which sounds like a below-average outtake from their previous album, with the operatic vocals, ultra-crisp production, and then leads into a lady singing zeros and ones. It leads to a nice atmospherical percussion of Comatose but everything but the percussion is bland and badly written. Afterwards, Liquid Eternity woke me up from that coma and is a fantastic song with an instrumental section that carries a highly memorable theme.

After Liquid Eternity, the album ends up with many dull numbers and is a chore to listen to. Connect The Dots is especially a bad song, being poppish, carrying juvenile lyricss and being musically out of place. The following tracks are ok, but unexciting and stuff you heard in the previous albums, until you get into one of the most pathetic prog songs I've ever heard: a ballad accompanied with a cliched romantic motif and bland acoustic guitars. After Simone starts searching in google for PX, hopefully in forums, Fifth Extinction is next and becomes less laughable and musically ok, if uninteresting again. Waking Dreams is next and is more interesting as Tomas Bodin, from the Flower Kings, comes to the rescue with a good solo and someone else comes with an electric guitar and does a decent job. After a bunch of boring tracks, E = MC^2 is next and is one of the geekiest songs in the prog world. With dramatic and bombastic lyrics like let's break the equation, E equals M C squared!!!! and the electric guitar going berserk and undergoing nuclear fusion, this is a fun song with a great guitar solo from Romeo (Symphony X). The closing track sums up the album and is surprisingly good and interesting, you shouldn't be let down by that track and maybe ... just maybe will make you forget of the Simone lyrics of Web of Lies.

The story is not bad if you like these kinds of sci-fi stories, but the lyrics and especially the music severely ruins what could have been a good concept album. Hopefully this album will not spawn a religion nor be taught in school as Eternity design.

After thoroughly enjoying The Human Equation album I was really looking forward to Arjen A Lucassen's latest Ayreon project. Was it worth the wait? Well I'm pleased to say a resounding yes. On first listening 01011001 whilst not a disappointment didn't hit me the way The Human Equation did but after listening for a couple of weeks I think it's even better.

Basically the concept (I think I have it right) appears to be about the inhabitants of planet Y known as Forever, who have lost their emotions and wishing to re-discover them attach their DNA on an earthbound comet thus giving birth to humanity on the planet. Humanity develops too fast setting them on a course to their own destruction. Forever's attempts to save the planet ultimately fail forcing them to leave with the last man alive.

Musically the album is familiar territory for Ayreon fans, no great leaps forward but then that doesn't matter as the material is so strong. We get the expected array of top class vocalists and guest musicians complimenting Lucassen's multi instrumental talents. Although Ayreon get branded as Progressive Metal, which much of the time it is, there are many more styles going on here. Futuristic sounding synth lines work surprisingly well against Hammond Organs and occasional programmed Drums compliment Ed Warby's excellent Drumming. The use of acoustic Guitar helps add some light and shade to the project and the use of Violin and Flute add another dimension to the sound though they're used sparingly like on the celtic sounding River of Time. Getting back to the vocals, although we have fine singers here all credit to Lucassen for giving them such strong vocal melodies to sing and the girls sing like angels. My only minor complaint is considering how lovely the girls harmonies sound it would have been nice to have had them featuring a little more as the male vocalists, also excellent tend to dominate a lot of the time.

There's no doubting Arjen Lucassen's incredible talents; I can only imagine the amount of effort it must take to put these projects together but I'm very pleased he does and already we have one of the contenders for album of 2008. A rare 5 star release.

This is a very well-intentioned and good sounding project from Arjen Anthony Lucassen's symphonic metal outfit, and there are quality moments throughout. Rather than the music, though, it is the theme that is the star. The actual plot is vague, having something to do with visions of star children, world doom, dire Roger Waters mirages and Wall-like predictions, occasionally lightened by a soft sentimental center. Unfortunately the album suffers from the Concept Fatigue Syndrome so common these days, when a few riffs and an idea with as much depth as a tuna sandwich is an excuse to foist yet another three hour, 9-part epic spanning two discs (and a novel-length booklet) on to a gullible market. It isn't bad, it's just all a bit familiar, with tons of confidence and layers of sound sculpting but little musical or emotional payoff. More space opera, and it kinda just sits there.

Maybe the record would have benefited from less indulgence and more discipline, but that's easy to say in retrospect and I'm sure Arjen got exactly what he wanted. 'Age of Shadows' starts as a factory-metal riffer with Arabic flavors, unremarkable but spirited, Derek Sherinian's distinct synth and mellotron sounds adding some dimension. 'Comatose' is quite good, sounding a bit like Tori Amos and David Coverdale got thrown together in a last minute duet at a video award show and is a welcome relief from the screaming pomp-metal of this album. But 'Liquid Eternity' is back to the endless and aimless story of cosmic proportions, Viking metal and contrived atmosphere, and 'Connect the Dots' is nearly a pop tune, a pretty good one too. This is followed by the unending parade of dark clouds and cold machines, 'Beneath the Waves' and reasonably good 'Newborn Race'. 'The Fifth Extinction' has some tasty guitar and string sections, one wishing it had appeared sooner, and 'Waking Dreams' carries on with Vangelis robotics.

I suppose if you really have a thing for Symphony X/Enid/Isildurs Bane-style grand undertakings this could thoroughly please you. If you're not a fan of those artists, you may want to save your money for something else. An enormous effort that left me wondering when the news was coming on.

The Earth is sick and its fate hangs in the balance, unable to sustain its errant population. Aliens and self-absorbed dirtwalkers strive to complete lyrically silly but portentious couplets in voices strained by emotion and by the aftermath of too many late-night Dio listening sessions. Sephiroth intends to cause grievous injury to the very world itself, thereby releasing and embracing the power of the Lifestream to forge a twisted new deity. Sensing that downfall is imminent, a league of rockstar superheros have assembled... to spring another goofy rock pantomime on the fans of inoffensive hard rock. There must be an audience for this, but it doesn't include me, so here comes one of those perspective reviews that you all hate. ;P

01011001 is the science fiction version of last year's Fear of a Blank Planet in that it takes the form of a semi-established musician's blog, containing ineloquent rants about isolation, the world's sad exploitation and the consequences of technology. It has a plot, too, sort of, best left to be unlocked by people who enjoy hammy muscle vocals (for you, there's a Thin Lizzy-ish section during the song New Born Race which is absolutely *priceless* - I say this ironically but someone must like this sincere rawk-out business) and have come to be able to tell these singers apart - neato singers like Hansi the Hobbit get submerged in a river of perspiration exuded by a bunch of carbon copy rock gods and yodelling mini-vampirettes. Being a full-blown conceptual double-album (and I don't begrudge this sort of ambition - if this album has ties to progressive rock then they are seated in the idea of a bardic rock saga in the vein of '70s epics like Lizard or Supper's Ready, songs which were gloriously over-arching and groundbreaking. It's a shame that this sort of project now can't be original by default.) you'd expect plot-boosting filler even from the very best artists, and Mr. Lucassen isn't on my list of those.

Ayreon, being a troupe of forward-facing metal storytellers, can resemble Queensryche and can feel like their logical next step at times. Unnatural Selection is perhaps the most overt homage to that band, and the worst song on the album by entire kilometres. Aside from that fairly obvious comparison, Ayreon aren't really like any particular band, being more like a synthesis of a hundred other melodic metal/hard rock groups, many from the era where things like power and speed metal were still being defined, and perhaps this is inevitable in a project containing so many fragments from successful, Iron Maiden-inspired groups. In short, Ayreon rock hard in that early metal-that-just-shook-the-blues manner, and even during the folk-pop interludes there's a sense of riff inevitability. This is just a guess, but I think everyone in this album's line-up has long, silky, rock-out hair. I know that's a meaningless and silly thing to mention at the best of times, but while the profiling is good...

Many influences and techniques are culled from the music of the recent past and packed into giant songs, with results that range between the mediocre (the entire no-surprises structure of E=MC Squared is particularly disappointing and easy to deduce on your first listen) and the enjoyable - the opening track, Age of Shadows seems the most exciting on the album and shows a mastery of riff-choice (even if it's just someone playing the same fifth every half-beat, some thought has gone into this) transition and textural blending, reciprocating between mid-pace rock hysteria and more subdued, alt-goth-folk meanderment with impeccable singing and smoothed over by an application of synths and electronics. The cod-industrial introduction got me hoping for more than I got, but if Arjen promises to move his music further towards the electronic then I promise to try his next album. I'll also mention Beneath the Waves for having a very well-judged atmosphere - it's peculiar in that the metal moments are few and far between, being very electronic and moody, but you can tell the song wants to be heavy. It also brushes up against 7/8 at times - on a fairly straightforward rock album, you must notice these things; it's the law.

Sadly, I just can't ignore the feeling that this music is too safe; there are so many rock cliches in evidence that the album verges upon a joke during its weak points. I don't blame Web of Lies for this, like many have done in the forum - it's a short track, no sillier than anything performed by our beloved Canterburians and the lyrics aren't perceptibly worse than those in other songs. Rather than placing the blame on one of the songs, I find that it's more to do with the furrow Ayreon plough - it's one where it's impossible to do anything unpredictable, a situation in which the band's mastermind has instead decided to focus his efforts towards making solid, reliable, very well-played (accompaniment throughout is noticeably professional and one or two of the lead spots surprise in terms of technicality) but derivative rock music.

If you're looking for modern music that's advancing some form or another, then discount Ayreon - this is new old in all its glory. There's no shame in being a retrohead, of course - I just don't feel like I can score you highly if you are one. Rather, I'd recommend this album (or one of it's predecessors, Universal Migrator, on a forum-poster's advice - apparently they resemble each-other) to people who can never have enough modern rock, and by that I mean rock music untinged by influences from indie or from jazz. I'd recommend it to people who really like the collaborations between Meatloaf and Dollie Parton - I know there are those of you out there who hold their union dear and it's OK to admit it, honey. Most of all, I recommend 01011001 to you if you own jeans with Iron Maiden patches sewn on to them, or if you're a fan of Iced Earth (*giggle*) on the understanding that you've already heard and enjoyed Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle-Earth, because if you want a modern metal concept album that's not too heavy on the prog, then that one is far more classy and succinct. This album is going into my vault now, but you'll like it more than I did. Almost certainly, anyway.

Finally, I'd like to say two things: one, that in more forgiving times, Ayreon (should they tour) would be famous stadium-fillers, and two, that I hope the next Ayreon album is a one-disc affair, because the man will never write a large amount of songs that are distinct from one another. Don't give up hope, Mr. Lucassen, because I have faith in your desire to be epic!

01011001 is a masterpiece, and I mean that in every sense of the word. It's clever but simple, complex but easy to grasp, progressive but catchy. The concept is dark and heavy, and involves, among other things, the end of the world. Such a storyline could be very difficult to relate to (as I believe anyone who reads this hasn't been technically destroyed, and neither has the world, yet), but this one isn't. Because it's clever. Because there are interludes, happy moments, dark moments, there are catchy choruses, weird instrumental parts. Above all, there's always hope. The world ends on this very album, and somehow there's still hope! Now, that needs a very clever plan indeed.

The music of Ayreon is always recognizable, yet completely new each time. This album has got some classic Ayreon moments, and some parts where everything is just so new You don't even know what to compare it to. No, I don't think I'm exaggerating, there's a lot of different influences on the album, and they all combine into some really special and unique stuff! The old school keyboards are of course very frequently used, there are awesome guitar- and keyboard soli (and a violin solo as well!) in very different styles, there are fantastic strings and flutes, as well as great rock and metal guitar riffs. Q: Has this album got everything? A: Yes, pretty much everything.

The vocals is possibly the most fantastic part of this album. With impressive 17 vocalists, there's all kinds of cool voices on this album, including a hiphop artist and a growler. There's cool elements of other bands incorporated in the music because of how the singers play their roles, but there's also singers appearing You hardly recognize when they do something completely different from what they usually do.

Finally, the production is of the best possible kind. Everything is crystal clear, and not a single little sound is lost in all the vocal harmonies, analog keyboards and sci-fi sound effects.

Review from www.wpapu.com.

After nearly four years the follow up to my favorite Ayreon album had finally arrived. The anticipation for 01011001 rivaled what I felt for new Rush and Dream Theater releases, which is saying something. That said I am very glad I didn't review this album after one listen, because my initial reaction to it was disappointment. It has grown on me now, but not to the point that I would hold it in the same class as The Human Equation, which to me is the best thing Arjen has ever done with Ayreon or any other band.

The opening cut of the album, "Age of Shadows/We Are Forever" clocks in at just over ten minutes and manages to use all of the time effectively. A spacey bit starts the album and then slowly evolves into the brand of dynamic progressive metal Arjen is known for. The first of many talented to singers to be heard is Tom Englund, followed by Steve Lee and Daniel Gildenlow. The song is innovative throughout, and excellent except for the section that incorporates the albums name. That particular section seems unnecessary, and just not as good as the rest of the song. "Comatose" is a haunting duet between Anneke van Giersbergen and Jorn Lande. Probably my least favorite track when I first heard it, it now is one of my favorites off the album. Simple and chilling the song just brings you into the depth of the music. "Liquid Eternity" returns to the overall spacey heaviness of the opening cut, with a deep, thick guitar riff leading things. Like many tracks on the album, this one moves from heavy and crunchy to smooth and atmospheric with little or no effort, and as always the track is led forward by an array of talented and powerful vocalists.

Going out of order a bit I'm going to group the next track, "Connect the Dots" in with the track that ends the first disc of 01011001, "Web of Lies". Both tracks are somewhat different from the rest of the album, which is certainly not bad, however lyrically they seem to have little or almost no connection to the central concept. Many concept albums are written loosely, to the point where many wouldn't know without being told that there was a story there, however Arjen tends to, and did on this album write very to the point lyrics that get across a clear story. Just seems like he should have picked one style or the other, because these two tracks, despite being excellent, just feel out of place.

The remainder of the first disc, "Beneath the Waves", "Newborn Race", and "Ride the Comet" continue the rollercoaster ride where "Liquid Eternity" left off. There always seems to be a strong, powerful voice that will pull your mind away from a lighter section of the album to a heavier aggressive part. However I think "Newborn Race" stands out on the disc as one that is exceptionally good, and one that reminds me of older Ayreon, especially Into the Electric Castle. A range of instrumentals, warm synths, and vocalists creates a perfect atmosphere for a great track.

Although both discs contain plenty of awesome music, I think the second disc of 01011001 gets the nod as the better simply because unlike the first disc it acts as one conceptual unified whole. What "The Fifth Extinction" starts doesn't end until the album comes to a close with "The Sixth Extinction". In between the two there is a ton of killer music. "The Fifth Extinction" continues a common trend on the album of long songs with a wide range of sounds and different parts. "Waking Dreams" contains a female fronted chorus that is one of the most beautiful and stunning moments on the album. "The Truth is In Here" starts with a very Celtic flute intro that is very reminiscent of early Ayreon works. It runs into a very smooth section that documents why despite not being as good as most of the singers he brings on his albums, Arjen is still certainly worthy to step up to the microphone to add his own personal touch to the vocal duties. "Unnatural Selection" features perhaps the most drastic mood change in any song. Multiple keyboards and Tom Englund lead a soft intro into an explosion that produces one of the, if not the heaviest section on the album, and then it all averages out into one of the simply best parts of the album. "River of Time" continues another habit on the album of either very odd drum parts, or simply the deception of drums due to a very rhythmic keyboard part. In this case a very interesting snare part simply rides under all of the verses. "E=MC2" contains one of the best female vocal parts in the album, that continues into a guitar slide you can't help but love. The song also features what is my favorite guitar solo on the album, which is surprisingly played by Michael Romeo of Symphony X fame. "The Sixth Extinction" is the final track, and yet another that clocks in at over ten minutes. It features a shrieking synth lead led by powerful vocals that is one of the most easily remembered parts on the album. Great track and disc throughout.

One of my biggest complaint's with the album is one that actually came from a friend of mine first. I have always considered Arjen an excellent selector of vocalists, and what's more is that he consistently brings out the absolute best in a wide array of singers. However when I think about it, I'm mainly thinking of the male vocalists he's worked with. On the other hand I often do have a tough time differentiating between different female vocalists as his use of them seems a bit less distinct, and the techniques he uses them for tends to be similar. However after taking that into consideration and the complaint that two songs don't fit the album all that well, you are left with an innovative, exciting, consistent, and fantastic album. Lyrically the album is traditional Arjen. It tells a story of a dying or struggling race, and how the remnants of it travel to Earth to help shape the future of humanity there. And along the way Arjen ambitiously ties in the stories from all of his previous works. The lyrics have a lot of cheese, which personally isn't a complaint of mine, but it may turn many serious lyric readers off.

Nick's Rating: 92%

The special and limited editions of the album come with a bonus DVD well worth the extra money. Featured is a long, interesting documentary with most of the artists that appear on the album. My only complaint is that it seems Arjen's ego took center stage during the editing process and much of the documentary focuses on him, and not the actual music, how it was made, and how he interacted with the other artists. Also included is a shorter documentary about recording drums for the album, I found this both very informative, and it gave me a bit of a deeper respect for Ed Warby. There is a CGI movie for Beneath the Waves, which I personally thought was pretty bad. Then there are also several of the guide-vocal tracks Arjen sends to various artists so they can learn the music. These are interesting in that you can see what changes were made from the early writing stages of the album. Finally there is an audio blooper reel from the recording session that is good for a few laughs one or two times around.

I was really eager to see how other reviewers rated this album and part of Zitro's (Zitro is a long time member of PA) review said EXACTLY how I feel:

The music is carefully crafted, but for some reason, I find the music moderately dull, unoriginal, monotonous, and overlong. There are tons of talented musicians and vocalists trying to save this album, but desspite their good efforts, it was not enough. The problem is not the performance, but the songwriting, lack of diversity, and this ultra-perfect production which takes away feelings for me.

I couldn't agree more. This was one of the bands that really got me into progressive metal with Into the Electric Castle, and the Human Equation. But I have to say it's been a while since they have put out a good album. Yes, I'll go as far as to say that this album isn't even good. There is a waste of talent, CHEESY vocal performances by the female singers and cheesy lyrics to match. There is just nothing new to offer here. I would avoid this album unless you are a HUGE Ayreon fan.

Are there any positive aspects to this album? Yeah- but they are too far and few between. 2 stars.

Well, even though I'm still absorbing this thing, I think I can make a fair review.

First, I wasn't expecting anything innovative or excitingly new from this album. Nor should anyone who has been listening to Ayreon for any length of time. But I was hoping. After all, the previous album was a masterpiece that still resonates for me to this day. That one hasn't lost its appeal at all for me since it was released almost 4 years ago (has it really been that long????).

Sadly, the diversity of that album seems to have been mostly cast aside for the homogeneity of this album. This is more similar to Electric Castle than any other Ayreon album, but it not nearly as good. After all, that was something new, this really isn't.

My biggest issue here is that for most of the album it sounds like one male and one female vocalist are all that are featured. Aside from Daniel Gildenlöw, I don't find any of these singers to have distinctive voices. I think the problem is the dearth of power metal type singers on this album. And Jonas Renkse sounds like a carbon copy of Mikael Åkerfeldt's vocals from the previous album (which is interesting, since they have been very good friends for years), but not quite as good to my ears. Gildenlöw, of course, has his distinctive style and even manages to send shivers down my spine at a couple of moments. But he has just a few parts, like all the vocalists, and can't really break the homogeneity all by himself. The female vocalists, with one exception, all sound more or less the same. That high, smooth female prog vocal approach that is so common these days. The one exception, Magali Luyten, sounds like the male power metal singers.

Still, this doesn't mean the singing is bad, just not very diverse. Which used to be the norm on an Ayreon album (Electric Castle and Human Equation most notably).

The music is not particularly exiting either. I can enjoy it while it's playing, but nothing really sticks in my head afterwords, like with previous albums. The deja vu feeling is strong in several places, and the musical diversity is not even as strong as on previous albums (not something Ayreon albums are known for in the first place.......but even less so here). Still there are good moments, like Tomas Bodin's solo in Waking Dreams in particular, and several of Arjens guitar breaks in other areas. The first and last tracks are classic Ayreon, in a good way, and quite enjoyable on the whole. The production is crystal clear, the playing flawless, and the drumming excellent as always for an Ayreon release.

I can't help but think that the whole Ayreon concept has reached it peak on this album, the story line kind of tying previous album story lines together and telling us the history of the race Forever. Where can he go from here? My fear is he will try to continue it. I think part of what made the Human Equation so successful was that it broke from the usual story line of Ayreon albums, but still tied it into those at the very end.

The art work is fantastic and the packaging on the limited edition is very nice, though I much prefer those wonderful digi-books that Inside Out used to put out (and used on the Human Equation limited edition) to the slipcase and fold out package here.

All in all, this album isn't far from what I expected, though I was hoping it would be the same high standard as The Human Equation. I think this album has the potential to burn out even the most rabid Ayreon fans (or maybe not, judging from the 5 star reviews here). In my case, I think it has. But that doesn't mean I don't like it at all, as I said it is still enjoyable but just doesn't have anything particularly special to make it stand out for me. I think 3 stars is the perfect rating and description for this album; good, but not essential at all. If Arjen doesn't change course with the next Ayreon album (assuming there is one), I suspect my interest as well as my rating, will be lowered.

If you love Ayreon, you should find little disagreeable about this album. In it Lucassen brings his sweeping sci-fi mythology full circle, tying together nearly all the concepts, twists and musical adventures of the Ayreon catalog. That he employs a hugely gifted lineup of musicians and vocalists should be a given at this point - the man has a talent for showcasing talent while holding true to his musical vision.

Overall, 01011001 brings few surprises to the seasoned Ayreon listener, but still conveys a uniquely subdued, heavily electronic broodiness that effectively mirrors the overarching theme of mankind's inevitable decline toward its own destruction. For some this seems to be a drawback, but for me it works hand in hand with the narrative - and on this album more than any, Lucassen has melded story and song in such a way that each contributes to the greater whole. The end result: brilliance characteristic of all Ayreon recordings.

I agree with others that the weakest tracks are Web of Lies and Connect the Dots. I understand their purpose and place, yet they feel like they didn't receive from Lucassen the time and attention that the other tracks did. On the other side, Age of Shadows, Liquid Eternity, Ride the Comet, Waking Dreams and, well, about all the rest of the tracks simply blew me away.

On a final note, I get the feeling that this album may be the final full-scale work from Lucassen in the Ayreon mythos. After having tied everything together so well, and having explored all the nooks and crannies of its particular genre, it's hard to imagine him producing any more Ayreon that carries significant purpose.

01011001 easily scores a 4.5.

Ayreon's latest opus continues the story played out in The Final Experiment, Into the Electric Castle, The Universal Migrator: The Dream Sequencer and The Universal Migrator: Flight of the Migrator. This time the concept explores the relationship between Man and Forever of the Stars whilst referencing the previous albums. For anyone hoping for something new, you are going to be very disappointed, this album follows the same pattern as Into the Electric Castle, though thankfully toning down on the cheesiness that plagued previous albums. The music still does the job without fanfare or flourish and, though filled with catchy melodies and hooks, offers little to really get your hooks into. From the vocalists, the stand out performances come from the usual suspects, namely Daniel Gildenlow, Anneke van Giersbergen (who steels the show on this album) and Floor Jansen. Many of the male vocalists are good but they all have a very similar vocal style, it becomes difficult to distinguish between them, this even happens to Gildenlow but this is more down to poor production and a sense of him being held back from upstaging the rest. Simone Simons and Phideaux Xavier are badly under used here, only appearing on the dull Web of Lies at the end of the first disc, I would have preferred it if they had taken the place of other singers in the main body of the work. Overall its a case of we've seen it all before, its pleasant to listen to but wont really grab you, and is sonically far too similar to Into the Electric Castle. Fans of traditional prog metal will get a kick out of it but if you prefer the more experimental or technical side of prog metal, I doubt this will do much for you.

After a hard time of personal turmoil, excellent Dutch multi instrumentalist/composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen returns with yet another sprawling rock opera, and unlike The Human Equation (the previous album) this one heads fully back to the sci-fi theme of the earlier records, reprising the tale of Forever of the Stars and Planet Y.

Or so it seems, because on closer inspection perhaps it's all just a facade through which Arjen expresses his feelings as the album has a noticeably darker tone than his entire previous catalog. Gone is the humor and tongue-in-cheek musical and lyrical moments. Gone are the happy and triumphant pop-rock tunes too.

Even the production sounds now very cold and digital, even down to the guitar tones themselves (unlike the full analog richness of Into the Electric Castle ten years back) - which of course supports the plot perfectly, but ultimately leads to a less rewarding audio experience (at least to my ears).

The cast too reflects this, made of lesser known singers than the all-star gatherings on 'Universal Migrator' and 'Human Equation'.

Musically, as many have pointed out, 01011001 shows themes that we all have heard on previous Ayreon albums, so no surprises here and it actually sounds like a wrap-up and farewell record (all in my imagination of course, but bear with me as I ramble on!!!).

So all in all, a much more subdued offering than usual from Arjen, but is it good?

Well, this guy just cannot do bad albums, and even though this one isn't as good as The Human Equation or Into the Electric Castle the flair of the songwriting, the layering of vintage keyboards (Hammond, Moog, Solina, Mellotron, etc) the beautiful vocal melodies, great guitar leads and excellent drumming (once again by Ed Warby) are all still firmly in place, so in the end I cannot rate this record any lower than four stars.

Even when you think this sounds all very familiar, suddenly Jonas Renske's voice (arguably the most technically limited) kicks in and drives the music to a very different place, or Jorn Lande's perfect Coverdale impersonation gives a sonic twist to Comatose, or the AMAZING keyboard solo on Walking Dreams (on a Moog Little Phatty synth, I believe) by the Flower Kings' keyboard player lifts the song to a new level. And of course, no need to praise Anneke further (even though his vocal performance is quieter too).

Perhaps with this toned down album Arjen may have created a record that appeals to more serious minded prog-fans put down by the pomp of previous offerings?

For now, let's enjoy it and see where Arjen takes the saga next...

I waited a long time for this album. And I avoided downloading it or reading any of the above reviews or previews before buying it and giving it my full attention for a lot of spins. So after I created a pretty good opinion about it, I came here and read all this. To be honest there are two trends in all of you: Half of you love it and half of you hate it. This thing alone is a pretty good evidence about the real value of this album. Cause it is common sense that works that divide people can offer many good things. You must excuse my reviews review, cause I'd like to be a bit strict with the bad words here. You guys have missed something. In the whole process of comparing with previous works and classifying and labeling the current tension of Ayreon you forgot about the feeling. Arjen again opened his heart and gave us all his feelings, personal from his current life and fictional from his dreams, and completed the circle of the Ayreon story in a masterful way. I really felt how dark this album tends to be, sad as our future and lonely as our present is. Planet Y is our mirror and it shows our ugly selves. But it keeps the beauty hidden and protected inside, like a whispered melody. In other forms of prog music, whenever a band uses simpler forms and throws away their complex music we call it art and give it numerous hearings till our eyes bleed, just to get the meaning. But in prog metal we scornfully announce that turning away from complexity equals to going mainstream. Cursed words like regressive are used in such cases. Well you missed the point. Sometimes music needs simpler forms to pass its meaning. To create that vibe inside of you. Ayreon's big achievement in 01011001 is exactly that. Every part of the story and every music-singer-melody that accompanies it fit perfectly. Songs that look poor are intentionally left like that. Give it more spins and it will evolve. We did that for many others in here, didn't we? Not to mention that some of those didn't deserve it in the end... Accusations such as repetition and safeness are erroneous. Voices are treated differently here, being more accurate to their roles. The characters from planet Y are crawling like ghosts from another direction, creating questions and passing judges. Some instruments are used more or less than the average Ayreon fan likes. Is this safe? I am a big fan of Ayreon (you already guessed that :) ) but some passages surprised me. Many times the music in here takes a different direction from the obvious, exploring new paths. So it is more well directed and well put than safe. Complete in many ways. The thing is that Mr L. used elements from his music but created an album that left the flock of his previous works. Yes, goth-folk melodies, muted power chords and operatic vocals are extremely used in the last 20 years, but that pillars of our music are unimpaired in our hearts. Otherwise let's put Ayreon in post metal and start giving it 1 star in all our future reviews. Although I believe that he may surprise us in every category that we 'll put him. To close this, I agree to one thing. All these exceptional musicians, these great singers with the amazing Jorn Lande (yes I know he reminds me of a couple of great guys but he is by far the best damned voice of our days) in the center, a story that goes full circle and questions our modern errors and music that speaks to your heart, compose a recipe. It's the formula of a masterpiece. Keep it up, Mr.L, and don't take your pills!!

So the master of metal operas (Arjen Lucassen) has returned again. The formula is the same: a background of relatively complex heavy metal orchestrations intercepted with various acoustic and mellower passages, haunting melodies, relatively virtuous playing, various artists singers including female vocals, spacey majestic (though increasingly retro) arrangements... It almost looks a Human Equation - part 2 (and even that is shamelessly not hidden). If the originality chapter certainly needs a great improvement, lyric chapter needs a revolution - it is as retro as embarrassing.

Nevertheless, at few listens the album is as enjoyable and appealing as powerful, as we could expect from Lucassen proficient songwriting, and at least in this aspect he has some merit.

5,5 (between trivial and decent)

The capstone in Arjen's sci-fi epic, 01011001 suffers only in its somewhat bland delivery and pervasive feeling of sameness to Arjen's other work. In other words, fans of Ayreon have heard (almost) all of this before.

The Good: the music itself is finely produced and tightly performed, delivering lavishly epic (i.e. corny) melodies and hooks throughout. There are also a few new instrumental sounds fans might recognize as well, mostly in an improved set of keyboards; however, this is still VERY much what we might call Arjen's classic sound of spacey/light metal. Vocals are good as always, but do not approach the level of memorability we heard on Human Equation, nor do they display the range on that album. However, it is still very fun to pick out and identify vocalists you know from other bands belting out Arjen's goofy lyrics. Heck, Daniel Gildenlow's performance here is better than the entirety of Scarsick.

As the final piece of his sci-fi opus, 01011001's lyrics put all the pieces together. If you're a fan of Ayreon, then you'll love it. This album explains the entire mythology going on behind the scenes in previous releases and closes the story appropriately. If you're new, than you'll probably be put off by the extreme corn-ballness of what these great singers are singing about.

The Bad: 01011001 is essentially bits and pieces of every album Ayreon has released up to this point. I don't imply that Arjen is cutting and pasting old recordings into this one, I mean that there is virtually no sonic progression here at all; this might as well be Electric Castle pt. 2. Additionally, 01011001 does not have nearly as many WOW moments as one would hope. The music is more subdued, somber even, and as a general thing does not demand much from the listener.

I don't discourage fans of Ayreon from picking this one up-- which they should, it concludes the story-- but those investigating Ayreon's rising popularity would do better to pick up Human Equation/Electric Castle first. Finely played and produced though it is, 01011001 does not have what it takes to elevate it above the group's other offerings.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 2 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

I know the truth is out there...

Multi talented songwriter/composer Arjen Lucassen has graced the progressive world with a number of excellent prog metal albums over his career, and all of them a very different product. Whether it be the Aryeon projects, or his side projects such as Ambeon, Stream Of Passion, Star One or any of his various guest appearances one can always expect a number of things. High production value along with an all-star cast of ever changing musicians that join his ranks make Arjen one of the most dynamic and compelling musicians in the scene.

Definitely an acquired taste (like most prog music) Arjen's focal point here (as with many of his albums) is on the fans of his stories and styles. Unrelenting to people who don't like his particular style of otherworldly bombastic progressive metal epics with a folk twinge and overly sci-fi (in a good or bad way, depending on your tastes) lyrics, Aryeon continues on the worn (yet apparently effective) path that he's been on since the Ayreon project started. After the fairly down to earth The Human Equation, which saw the music exploring the human psyche, Ayreon have once again blasted off into space on this album to conclude the saga started over a decade ago.

Musically, this one is fairly familiar. Arjen has always said that he's never wanted to ever make a ''better'' album, but rather, always a ''different'' album. And while this one is different from it's brethren in many respects, this one is much closer in style to Into The Electric Castle and can (appropriately) be seen as a direct follow up to the album. Indeed, in the storyline of Arjen's opera these two are the ones best connected, however all the other albums (spare Actual Fantasy) are given reference. It's clear that here Arjen wanted to go ''behind the scenes'' and explain the whole story as it has evolved over the last decade, and the lyrics very much reflect that.

Less character driven and now more society driven the vocalists are divided into two camps, Earth and Y, human and alien. Whereas other albums had a vocalist voice a person or song they now collectively represent different views of the story as it unfolds. (If this comment seems useless, don't worry, I'm getting to my point) This allows for the many vocalists represented to be used very dynamically and not limiting them to their own dialogs. On this effort Arjen found a great way to have all the particular vocalists play to their strengths where needed.

Speaking of guests, let's get into that a little bit. There's a good amount of talent here. Not quite the all-star cast that The Universal Migrator Duo possessed but still strong, there's vocals featured here by the likes of many. The heavy and raspy Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan), the mystic Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering), the excellent Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation) and the soothing Phideaux Xavier (Phideaux) all make wonderful additions to the cast list among many others. As usual, Arjen is able to wrangle all of these talents and mold them into something that really suits his style.

As far as the songs go, on this effort Aryeon really managed to capture the sounds that they were seeking. At times metallic and cold yet at others organic and welcoming. The heavy metal songs on the album sometimes have a beat and rhythm that could seemingly match that of a machine. Coming to mind is the trudging standout Liquid Eternity, the speedy Ride the Comet and the excellent Unnatural Selection.

If course, an over the top double album would be a little monotonous if it was a heavy metal blast-fest the entire way through, so Arjen decided to put in some slower moments. It's common knowledge that I am someone who despises a slow song that breaks the momentum of an album, luckily that doesn't happen here. Any time there's a slow song to break up the constant bombardment of noise it's an incredibly welcome addition. Exceptional standouts on the album include the points where Arjen's Tull influences start to shine through a bit, adding a human touch to the machine. The folk melody behind Connect The Dots adds a harsh contrast between the darkly real lyrics. However it's a couple of ongs off the second half that really make the album. As much as Arjen himself hates to sing on his own albums, he does a freaking good job when he does. One of the album's greatest achievements is the Arjen voiced The Truth Is Out There which shows huge folk touches with flutes and melody to back the delivery. River Of Time is much to the same effect, with a very upbeat yet dark tempo.

Reluctant to give this one a 5 sheerly because it's a hard album to recommend to everyone, this one gets a shining 4. Some people may not enjoy this album if they're not way into the concept since it's the concept that drives the album, but if you're someone who wants a wild space adventure this is definitely an album for you. Certainly a hard album to ingest, this one takes about 4 or 5 listens until it finally clicks thanks mostly to it's length. Regardless, this is an excellent album from a talented performer which would interest any Space Cadet.

Arjen Lucassen continues to astound the world of music worldwide with a string of releases that always seem to raise the bar for everyone else in the prog-rock community.

010110001 is yet another 2 CD set that fans and media are calling a prog-rock opera masterpiece-And with good reason of course and I am in total agreement with those thoughts. So is this the Ayreon Magnum Opus? Well, every time I hear a new album I really want to say that but this time I am not going to count my chickens before they are hatched because he will probably find a way kick it up another notch on the next release. Clearly, this is one of his best albums.

In typical Ayreon style, he put together an incredible cast of characters to contribute and every one of them honored to get the call from the master of the modern day rock opera. Some of the stars that stepped into Arjen's studio were Ty Tabor, Jonas Renkse, Hansi Krusch, Anneke van Giersbergen, Simone Simons, Tom Englund, Michael Romeo and Derek Sherinian to name a few.

I was lucky enough to receive the limited edition from the man himself. Again, his down to earth personality just blows me away for a person of his stature in the world of music. He is successful because he is real and remains so, not only because he happens to be an incredibly talented and respected musician.

The first two discs is the entire story with some the of best prog-rock you will hear this year and the third disc is a DVD that takes you through the behind the scenes recording sessions and all the people that participated including interviews with all of them and their thoughts on the project and how they feel about Arjen. There is also a 5.1 surround sound version of the video "Beneath the Waves." It is unfortunate that the 5.1 conversion process is so cost prohibitive as this recording would be unbelievable in that format. I cannot take anything away from the stereo version though because it is outstanding. Arjen knows exactly what he wants during the recording process and is simply brilliant producing his own work. The separation of instruments is fantastic and it sounded great on my surround system, it really just blew me away entirely.

There is also a section of bloopers on the DVD that is riot.it shows a side we never see as listeners while at the same time shedding some light on our rock star heroes illustrating that they put their pants on every day just like you and me. That is what Arjen is all about; he never takes himself too seriously.

I enjoyed the entire recording but I did have some favorites. The theme is typical Ayreon, with songs based on our dark future and what it will be like because of our poor stewardship of our surrounding environment and where technology rules our every move.

"Unnatural Selection," "Beneath the Waves" (a five-part track) and "Comatose" I feel are classic prog- rock opera tunes, its vintage Ayreon surrounded by some of the best of his contemporaries. This is an environment that he thrives in, getting the energy and input from all the participants. The only drawback with projects like this is that it is highly unlikely you will ever see it hit the road. Not only is it a logistical nightmare, everyone has his or her own bands and projects they are responsible to return to. Perhaps someday I will have the chance to see this legendary musician perform but until then I have his entire catalog to dive into and enjoy and that is quite satisfying to say the least, 010110001 is another template for his peers to judge their success by, if anyone can come close to matching this superlative effort they would have released a fine album.

© MuzikReviews.com

If there is an artist featured in this site that almost never fails to deliver, that one is Arjen A. Lucassen. Of all his AYREON albums, not one of them would receive less than 3 stars from me, and most would actually reach the best possible rating. The Dutch's career has been one of continuous work and amazing albums, never releasing a sub-par effort even when he did (ACTUAL FANTASY, though weaker than its conceptual brothers, still has better music than many prog-metal bands out there).

So it's no surprise that "01011001" is another success in a long line of excellent records. Coming off the heels of fan-favorite "The Human Equation", this album had very big shoes to fill. Lucky for us, the end result is as good (or even better from my perspective) that its famous predecessor.

Most everybody will know by now what AYREON's music sounds like. Don't expect any dramatic changes in style. What you have here is progressive-metal with a strong space flavor, a lot of 70's prog- rock influences, a little bit of classic like THE BEATLES or BOWIE, with a small dose of classical musical touches here and there, and a big amount of PINK FLOYD. Arjen manages to blend all these styles with some folk melodies and dances, enhanced orchestration, and unusually large casts of singers to create the AYREON sound, a sound that is so unique to him that is quite difficult to mistake his music for somebody else's.

The music in itself is hardly complicated. Most every song in the album follows traditional structure and harmonic rules, many are riff-based, rhythms are rather normal 4/4 and there's hardly any technical wizardry. What is amazing is that, with such, let's say, "traditional" elements, Lucassen achieves, album after album, the unlikely: to create a collection of songs that never sounds repetitive, boring, that always has something for everybody, and that is atmospheric, spacey, cosmical enough to make us fly with him while we enjoy it. For that's what AYREON's albums sound like: a trip through space and time, a voyage through history being carried by the wind at a speed much slower than light yet celestial enough to let us see that burst of energy.

In "01011001" AYREON has the usual line-up of musicians: Arjen Lucassen playing mostly everything, Ed Warby of GOREFEST fame behind the drum-kit, and a bunch of guests playing solos. Regarding that, let me just say that, while Sherinian's and Romeo's solos are instantly recognizable, is Tomas Bodin's (of THE FLOWER KINGS) one in track 2 in the second disc, "Waking Dreams", that really steals the show for me. His amazing scales and figures, followed by Lucassen soloing himself in guitar, make one of the best moments in this outstanding record.

The story is, as always, very cohesive and coherent. Inspired by Lucassen's own previous ideas, the picture he paints for us, one of impending doom and ruin for the planet and the species, may not be his most immediate one, yet, arguably, is the one that tackles with a greater dilemma (maybe only behind "The Human Equation"). Lucassen tries to fuse all his albums into one in terms of story and he manages to do it even though at moments it feels forced.

Stylistically, "01011001" lies somewhere between "Into The Electric Castle" and "The Dream Sequencer". There's not much of the pure-metal of "Flight of the Migrator" to be found here (even though this album contains probably one of the heaviest tracks in AYREON yet) and there is a bigger emphasis on choruses and hooks than in "The Human Equation". Lucassen has surprises every now and then, and the final song, "The Sixth Extinction", takes the shape of a true musical halfway down.

A final word about the cast. The group of singers here is one of the best in all Lucassen's albums. Just let me mention the bigger names: Englund of EVERGREY does a fairly good job, as does Gildenlow of PAIN OF SALVATION, without ever shining. Jonas Renske of KATATONIA delivers probably one of the best performances with his dark, menacing voice, rounded-up with his death grunts near the end. His voice gives the music a sense of atmosphere only matched by that of the female vocalists, especially Floor Jansen of AFTER FOREVER and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-THE GATHERING). The power metal voices of Hansi Kursch (BLIND GUARDIAN) and Jorn Lande (of several bands including MASTERPLAN) add to the metal experience. There's two more vocalists worth mentioning: Phideaux Xavier, mastermind of the band of the same name, with a very effective soft tone, and Ty Tabor, of KING'S X, probably the weakest singer in the group. Of course, Lucassen wouldn't be true to his roots if he hadn't included a few numbers for himself to sing, something that we can't complain about as his voice, a little bland and soulless, is overly effective and sedative, ethereal and narcotic.

All in all, another success by one of the best "bands" in progressive-metal, another brilliant album by one of the genre's true master artists, and an essential album in any prog-metal fan collection. For progressive-rock purists, you may also find a lot to enjoy here, maybe not in form, but in spirit, as Lucassen really carries the torch of a long-gone decade in his music.

Ayreon's highly anticipated new album 01011001 (Y). Released about four months ago I was one of the many fans that eagerly jumped to the roof to buy this long awaited album. The next step in the climb to amazingness by Arjen A. Lucassen. After listening to the album a few times... I sit comfortably at 4.5 stars. I hate mediums. The album is intriguing, lacking in experimentation, and very heavy. A lot of layers are present in the album: complex story, vocals up to your eyeballs, heavy riffs, violins that sing through, and a dark feeler from some of the other albums. A good lesson, 2 CDs, the length of CD isn't too long or too short, but fits the length of Ayreon albums.

Standing Alone:

Standing alone (as if a person was to just pick this up), this is a great album. With heavy, spacey riffs filled with good vocals and classic choruses--possibly now cliche with how many albums Arjen has done. Most of the Album is prog metal in it's true form, very heavy. Only growls once, and that's in the grand finale song, which is amazing and very moving. The concept if picked up for the first time might be ignored or will just be confusing... or plainly just have a lot of holes and isn't worth following to sternly. Above all, this may just be considered a great introduction to Ayreon. For most people it takes some time for Ayreon to grow on them, this album could ease them in a little softer than some of the other albums, including Human Equation. List and variations of vocals are great and each song adds in its own way to make this an incredible listen anyone could enjoy if they are musically open minded. 5/5 stars as a first pick up, only a few songs detract away from the album, but it isn't enough to disappoint.

Compared to Previous Albums:

Arjen's work in the album, musically, just isn't up to par. New sounds, heavy riffs, but not enough exploration (exemption from the concept). His music in this isn't nearly as diverse as the other albums were. However, don't get me wrong when I say it's not up to par it's trailing closely behind Electric Castle and Human Equation. I do think that is enormous list of artists is more of a killer than a builder. Huge name artists like Pain of Salvation, Epica, Katatonia, Phideaux, Kings X, Within Temptation, Evergrey, and a whole bunch more just don't get as strong a spot light as they could've. Especially Phideaux and Pain of Salvation. Some of the vocals sound so close together it's hard to tell who is who. His collections of vocals is amazing, but maybe a tad excessive. Despite all of these reasons that this album just isn't up to par with Human Equation and Electric Castle. The songs are still just soooo good! Enjoyable and a heavy listen, if you were hoping for something maybe a little heavier you won't be disappointed, but if you were hoping for some of Arjen's well achieved diversity (as played through in Human Equation) you might not be so impressed. I love both, and I feel like I now have two sides of Arjen, heavy (this one), and experimental goodness (Human Equation). The concept is incredible as takes a broad perspective and connects all the dots of his albums together. Looping the story like all his other albums had alluded, Y is a complete story with great lyrics and very deep story. He progresses the story smoothly it short interludes throughout the album of human life. Some songs only work for story purposes, but many are good to stand alone for a good heavy listen--something Human Equation may have possibly lacked, especially on the second CD. He proses some of his best quality lyrics and really uses the vocalists wisely to help cut out excessive dialogue drone. All in all, the positive far outweighs the negative and I would have to place a 4/5 on 01011001 to Arjens cumulative work. Good listen indeed.

Songs that standout:

Unlike Human Equation, Y doesn't seem to have as many standout songs. There weren't many powerful singles like Love or Loser. But some great listens are Age of Shadows, Comatose, Connect the Dots, Liquid Eternity, Beneath the Waves, Ride the Comet, Walking Dreams, Unnatural Selection, E=MC^2, and The Sixth Extinction. The rest either seem to just meld in or are his typical format and style of song. Ride the Comet and Walking Dreams are like that, but they both have some interesting features that are worth the listen. Both Liquid Eternity and Unnatural Selection are excellent head bangers. Comatose and Connect the Dots are good semi-softies. And the rest are just great progressive elemental songs. E=MC^2 has a cool idea behind the song, sure nerdy, but who really cares? Its Ayreon.

As of last, I still sit pretty strongly on a 4.5, but because Ayreon is an amazing band, my top five, and I like to round up for good luck and support and encouragement. I'm going to shoot this off with a well deserved 5/5 star rating to Ayreon and Arjen Lucaseen's hard work. Can't wait for the next album, hopefully it'll beat this one and top Human Equation... No offense, but Human Equation is a masterpiece upon all Progressive made albums, I don't know if Arjen can top the album ever again. Check out this prog metal amazingness of doom (quite literally too) and see what you think.

Industrial, Celtic, Metal, Operetta..IN SPACE!

01011001 is my first album from Ayreon, and it's left a lasting impression. It has so many different sounds and different musical styles within it that no matter what kind of musical taste you have, there will be at least one point on the album that will appeal to you. It covers so many aspects of the musical spectrum that it is a sheer delight for my ears.

The lyrics themselves unravel a tale in an operetta form. This, (in my listening history) is the closest albums to come to an actual opera I've ever heard. This includes "Tommy" by 'The Who', simply because this has a cast of characters dictating the story. The story itself is not overly that original in terms of a 'sci-fi' sense; Original planet dies, new planet inhabited. The story of course is much, MUCH deeper then that, but that is the basic idea.

Now for the rating: A solid 4 stars from me. Why? There are no songs that I can't listen to and the album offers more then just great music. That right there is enough for a 3.5 rating in my books. So what picks up the other .5? Most songs (not all) are superb. They build up and produce amazing atmospheres of sound. The whole feel of the album is grand and magnificent. I love the Celtic feel to some of the songs ('New born Race' on disc one and 'The Truth is in Here' and 'River of Time' on the second disc); it's so rare to find integration of such a vast musical style such as Celtic in a 'metal' section.

All the songs on here are monumental, but there are some that I tend to skip after I hear the album a number of times. I tend to skip over 'Comatose' some times 'Connect the Dots' and even though it features my hero Phideaux Xavier 'Web of lies' from the first disc, and from the second disc 'Waking Dreams'. One thing I do need to say and point out is: 'Ride the Comet' is so '80's big hair band' stupid that I can't help but love it so much. Even though 'Age of Shadows' 'Beneath the Waves' 'The Fifth + Sixth Extinctions' are musically superior in all respects and will most likely find their places in my progressive songs collection permanently, it is 'Ride the Comet' that I deem the best song on the album, just for its 'funness'. (I know funness is not a word, but it's the best way to convey the feeling.)

Well this review is getting a little lengthy, so I'll sum it up with this: It is a beautiful album, although the length is needed to properly convey the story and the feelings needed for the music as a whole, there are points that could have been left out, or 3 songs or so made into one. There is also no great and grand moment for me on the album which is needed for a true masterpiece. Although The sixth Extinction's end is true beauty (who know you can hit that gap in between keys on a keyboad?), there is still no real 'Euphoric' moment that opens one's eyes to an essential musical album. But the integrated use of mechanical sounds with an atmosphere of drifting space, all rapped up in a Celtic Metal Operetta is one that has found a very special spot in my music collection.

It's riding the comet for 4 stars.

Ok....this is my first taste of Ayreon.....based upon some of the early reviews on this site, I decided to check it out for something new.

However, this album will lead me to check out more of their efforts.

During my first listening, I was a bit distracted by the use of the different singers, especially since I don't pay much mind to the lyrics. But I was drawn in by the overall production. Well this may not be the most complex playing you'll ever hear, the arrangements and engineering displays the music and playing very well. Each play of the CD's dragged me in further and further, especially disk 2.

My favorite track would be the final track 'The Final Extinction' thanks to it's rhythmic pulse of the bass and drums and the interplay between the melodies and singers.

I haven't heard any of their past efforts, but I'll be looking for them.

One might consider this album is somewhat "pretentious" with its story-telling kind of thing in the science-fiction territory. No harm with putting the main story to the album so that each song in the album contributes to the whole story. Having the story as the main idea for the album might inhibit full exploration of the music as it is limited by the chapters of the story - unless the whole story comprises radical ups and downs that allow the music flow wildly. Unfortunately, it does not happen here with this Ayreon because there is practically little varieties in style and mood from one song to another. I actually reach "boring" state at the later part of the first CD. There is basically no surprise and the music can predicted - no challenge at all. And also, the album title is hard to memorize (it's using "binary" numbers known by computers). However, as usual, Arjen Lucassen has gathered many musicians to contribute in this album.

A predictable stream of music . and boring riffs?

"Age of Shadows incl. We Are Forever" (10:47). It's a nice track which relies heavily on groove and beat as the music flows. There is nice part with acoustic guitar work which remarks the "We Are Forever" part. I like the ambient part with thin guitar solo during the female vocal portion. It's quite good to open the album and set the overall tone. The music comes back into upbeat style with good violin work. No more repression. "Comatose" (4:26) starts off with a sound of the sky followed with keyboard loop typical to Ayreon. No need to feel the pain, No need to feel betrayed, No need to feel inane, No need to feel afraid. flows nicely with only keyboard loop in spacey nuance backed with some guitar / violin effects. "Liquid Eternity " (8:10) opens with great guitar distortion followed with long sustain keyboard sound followed by music riffs. The keyboard loop still appears hear and seems like to be used in any other segment. The key attraction of this track is on violin solo performed by Ben Mathot in the middle of the track.

"Connect the Dots" (4:13) does not sound quite nice to my ears as it has weak intro part. The chorus part is quite OK. We are dying for tomorrow, we are living for today .. "Beneath the Waves" (8:26) flows in mellow style with keyboard loop and guitar fills accompany male vocal until female vocal enters, the drum starts to roll. Floydian guitar work is nice. This track comprises five parts. "Newborn Race" (7:49) starts with good combination of acoustic guitar and mandolin. It comprises six parts. "Ride the Comet" (3:29) has good percussion work. Disc one concludes beautifully with nice acoustic guitar and violin work accompanying female voice "Web of Lies" (2:50).

Disc Two kicks off with "The Fifth Extinction" (10:29) where the intro part is a spacey nuance created by long sustain keyboard and guitar fills. This opening track comprises five parts comprising soft parts and heavy ones with guitar riffs. The guitar solo in the middle of the track combined with keyboard solo are all stunning. "Waking Dreams" (6:31) is a mellow track with great guitar solo and melodic singing. "The Truth Is In Here" is a ballad (5:12). "Unnatural Selection" (7:15) opens with a very long spacey keyboard work followed with low register male voice and at approx minute 1:52 it moves to heavy riffs typical Ayreon. "River of Time" (4:24) starts with traditional acoustic guitar that reminds me to Ayreon's "Looser" of Human Equation album. "E=MC2" (5:50) is a nice track with typical Ayreon's riffs. The album concludes nicely with "The Sixth Extinction" (12:18) which comprises six parts. I like parts with growling style.

Overall, this is a good album with good composition typical Ayreon music. Unfortunately there are many similar riffs that tend to bore me if I listen to the whole CD in its entirety. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW (i-Rock! Music Community)

3.5 stars. I remember when I was a kid i used do detest any movie that was a musical.You know the deal, instead of the actors speaking their lines to each other they would sing them (gag). Anyway my tastes in that regard haven't changed whatsoever. That was the problem I had with "Into The Electric Castle", and I couldn't get past it. "01011001" isn't nearly as bad in that regard thankfully, but there are those moments. Another problem I have is that Jorn Lande is the most prominant vocalsist. This was by design of course. Arjen has suggested that with Jorn's strong voice and versitility he was an obvious choice to have a lead role. I do like Jorn it's just that he reminds me of David Coverdale too much. Not a fan. By the way this is the first AYREON album to enter the charts. Very cool. Another aside is that Roy Khan was supposed to sing on this recording but had vocal problems, Arjen couldn't wait for him to get better so he had Daniel Gildenlow do his parts.

Arjen has also stated that with 17 vocalists it is difficult for them to have enough time to fully display their talents unfortunately. So we have a double concept album here with a wide array of vocalists and instrumentalists. I wish they had broken down who sings on what songs in the liner notes. I know it's obvious at times but still. I still think Anneke is the most amazing vocalist on here. Floor Jansen is another vocalist I never tire of. Cool to hear Hansi from BLIND GUARDIAN on here, especially on the backup vocal parts. Oh, and Jonas from the great KATATONIA is a real treat too.

For being a Metal guy I really like the reflective "Connect The Dots" so much. It opens with the sound of a car starting then a beat with vocal melodies comes in. I just love the male reserved vocals on this one. I like the drums and female vocal melodies in "Ride The Comet". Another highlight for me is "Waking Dreams" that sounds like a TANGERINE DREAM song at first thanks to the synth work of Tomas Bodin. Again this is far from a Metal song but I find it so refreshing. Anneke is refreshing too. Haha. "The Truth Is Here" is great too with Phideaux on vocals with Simone helping out. Excellent tune.

This is good, but in my opinion it's not good enough to give it 4 stars.

'01011001' - Ayreon (8.5/10)

When I first listened to the vocal samplings released on the internet a few months before '01011001' was released for sale, I was a little bit concerned as to what this album was going to turn out like. There was no doubt in my mind that it was going to be good, but having been so used to masterful works such as 'The Human Equation' and 'Into The Electric Castle,' I was worried that this third double album wouldn't match up to the other two. Upon listening to the finished project in it's entireity, it was a pleasant feeling to realize that not only was this a good album, but it was more or less on par with the other two double albums (which exist as the defacto core of Ayreon's repetoire.) What Arjen has done here is apparently wrap up his epic Ayreon storyline with an equally epic album, that uses a relatively unique style of storytelling to get the plot across. Instead of having recurring, filled-out characters, each singer, or 'character' is used to compliment the whole, instead of take a shape of his or her own. While this different conceptual approach took a while to get into, it ends up working well for the story Arjen is trying to tell.

The heart of this tale consists of the three 'epics' the album has to offer; 'Age Of Shadows,' 'The Fifth Extinction,' and 'The Sixth Extinction.' Each clock in at least ten minutes, and do the best job of telling the story. For those unfamiliar with the Ayreon concept, a race of alien beings called 'Forever' populated Earth with lifeforms in their own image (humanity) in order to experience emotions and primal feelings once again. However, in their blindness, they let humanity become too advanced and in the process, mankind destroys itself in a great war. While the concept is a little morose, it has a profound social message to tell, and that added dimension makes '01011001' a really moving experience.

Despite the fact that most of the singers portray alien characters, there is a resounding feeling of humanity that emanates from each performance. Despite each Forever character being named as nothing more then a symbol (such as a heart or pentagram) each character manages to forge it's own distinct personality.

The music itself passes off as being darker then alot of Ayreon's previous works. Elements from electronic and folk music are used alot here. There's a strong metal influence here, second only to the metal-centric 'Flight Of The Migrator' album. The heavy use of synthesizers adds to the science-fiction theme, and the concept. Of special recognition is the beautiful Thomas Bodin keyboard solo in the song 'Waking Dreams.' Another highlight of this album is the mind-blowing choral arrangement 'We Are Forever' performed by one of the best female vocalists in Prog, Annette Van Giersbergen. The compositional talent required to write four-plus singing counterparts is massive.

Arjen Luccassen does not dissapoint on this album. '01011001' stands as being one of the best albums of 2008.

WOW!!

In the many albums that have provided bits and pieces of different storylines, this album, 01011001 is the one that ties them all up together, Completing the circle as Forever has said before. This technique makes it all the more epic, as well as holds a whole new creation mythology that spawns through different times.

The great things about this, and all Ayreon albums in general, is the wonderfully creative music, the captivating sci fi fantasy adventure storylines, and the list of virtuostic musicians who come together to make it so amazing. This album in particular sounds a lot darker than the rest, but it's certainly just as good as any other. Disk 1 takes you millions of years into the past on Planet Y, where the ancient race Forever is missing emotions and comes up with an experiment to relive their past by creating human beings on planet earth. Disk 2 Takes the listener through the Forever's human race, toiling through their hardships, experiencing old lost emotions, and the effects of a high increase in human intellect, which ends up in the far future, at the end of the peak of human civilization.

Elements on this album come from symphonic, progressive, metal, and electronic backgrounds, and also have that hint of Arjen in them that you can hear in whatever he writes. Like all other Ayreons, the additions of great names in progressive rock help to push this album to greatness. The main storyline is temporarily interrupted by filler songs depicting a few specific human beings on earth, and I think this is totally welcome, because it pauses the big omniscient view and allows the listener to view the struggles of the humans as the Forevers are watching them. It links every single album together, the final experiment in which the forevers attempt to help humans turn back time, the electric castle, revealed to be a psychic experiment by the forevers, the dream sequencer, which begins the mythology of the first cosmic entity with a soul, the Universal Migrator, and the Human Equation, which is revealed to be another experiment similar to the electric castle.

All in all, this album brings an epic storyline to a close in rounding up everything and making connections that are quite interesting... we revisit the now aged hippie from electric castle, who rants about visions of war, and about journeying through a dream world in a mental center. This is a bit like a look at the entire story through the eyes of the alien forevers rather than the humans that they happen to, and this fills in the information you were missing in the other albums, but at the same time leaves room for the listener's own interpretation.

The creation myth of Ayreon is so fun and amazing, that in class, when we chose to do projects on creation myths, like Christianity, Greek mythology, Egyptian, etc... I chose to do Ayreon! 5 stars... Obviously since it's Arjen. What else can you expect from such a genius?

- Phideaux Xavier (solo) / vocals - Simone Simons (Epica) / vocals

whoo hoo, my favourites ones. To be honest, "Age of Shadows" instantly hooked me on. Songs where I enjoyed every little bit (except rather longer "bit" which serves as intro). I really feel like you simply like him, or you don't. I grew old on sci-fi stories with little bit flavour of fantasy. Isn't this what Arjen is offerring us ? So to song: Indeed, every bit (except...), even zero-one-zero-one part which (is it so strange?). It may look monotone, but that's in fact every guitar riff (repeating over and over). When woman voice starts singing ""Forever..."" line to it, ecstasy, I'm awaiting you.

"Comatose" is also melodic one, with depth of infernal abyss (can we have heavenly abyss, please?), not so much changes, but with perfectly directed vocals. He's master on doing this. To handle so many singers and vocalists, you have to be talented. And these, who sings, also (by the way).

Sad things that [i]Simone Simons (Epica) as Simone & Phideaux Xavier as PX, internet-dating service users. [/i] are not so used.

"Liquid Eternity" uses this weird synth sound in back which reminds me water. Really liquid feeling. Slowly coming (like slow creek, or should I say eternal creek?) to refrain. 4:12-4:36 and I though I will not be offered this characteristically sounding keyboard solo. And then, also familiar string like tune. Why it's so well known, I must have heard this in past Ayreon's work. But just as I'm reading wikipedia (same as this story, just facts and facts, no emotions, this is why I'm writing reviews).

But my shameless favourite is "Connect the Dots", because it reminds me myself. So mundane story, so non-mundane music (try to find all instruments playing here without looking on wiki to help), with strong emphasis on melody, which is probably because of getting feeling of something from this Earth amongst alien ones. ""have you seen little Steve today?"". So pleasant tune, so hanting lyrics.

""Silver dances on the waves"". I can't help myself, this dystopia presented by AY is always so creepy, so pessimistic, but I know in deepness of my soul that also realistic. If not WW3 will destroy us, then nature disasters will do the job. And if not them, then human himself will ruin everything.

and so on. Five stars because of complexity, both lyrical and musical, but at the same time melody, wide variety of voices, IDEA and many other reasons which can be written, but aren't necessary.

I'm glad I didn't review this album when I first bought it. I'm not sure why, but the first time I listened to 01011001 I was not impressed. I put the disk away in my collection, and did not go back to it. Now, finally, on the second listen, I have no idea what I thought I heard. I love this album!!!

The music may be metal based, but it's much more than that. The keyboards often have have Pink Floyd like tone, and the music is complex and intriguing. The vocalists are all outstanding, and the story told on the collection is compelling.

So, if you buy this album. Give it a chance. Or a second chance like I did.

Basically, Arjen tried to make Human Equation part II buth with a different lyric concept ... and failed. Lets start with the lyrics, i'm someone who likes cheese very much but this is just over the top and plainly bad, just check this out: "I checked the web and left it on over night Downloading all the latest files Peer to peer, the torrent flows into my life And I disconnect" ... how on earth did Arjen thought this was a good lyric? In some parts the lyrics just seem badly placed and way forced over the music. Musicwise, this album has good and bad moments, mostly good but about 1\4 not up to the standards set by Human Equation ... and thats the main problem with this release, musically is way too close to that album and it gets ruined by some not so inspired sections, this sense of deja-vu leaves you bored after some listenings. The third problem with this album is the overkill of vocal talent, having 15-something top-rate singers in an album sounds like vocal heaven but what happens here is pure overkill of different voices meshed together, there isnt enough space for each singer to properly leave their individuality mark throughout the album, and even someone who is familiar with most of the singers will struggle to figure out who is who on the first few listens in certain parts; was that coverdale? ... oh it was jorn lande, or was it bob catley? or russel allen (he isnt in the album is he?)? or Hansi Kürsch? dont get me wrong, all these singers are great and have distinctive voices (except for the ubber-mega-coverdale clone in the form of Jorn Lande) but they do have the same type of vocal characteristics and it seems rather pointless to use them together, it gets very anoying after awile and is a pure waste, the singers that really do stand out are Magali, Jonas and Anneke precisely because they have very different vocal characteristics than all the others in this album ... human equation was dham near perfect in the way all those different kinds of vocals meshed together, 101010010101001110101010 110100001111 goes over the top and spoils it, this is a pure example of more != better.

As a hole(or even whole), this album has its moments but some severe weaknesses, and the main problem of this album is that The Human Equation is a near-impossible album to top, and making a second part of that with more of everything isnt the recipe for a good album. Arjen, listen dear, i love your music, but next time get some decent lyrics, half the singers you used in this album, and reinvent yourself a little bit ... and you will be fine. ;)

01011001 came as a bit of a disappointment after following Ayreon around for the last couple of years. There isn't much in the way of sounds and melodies here that you haven't heard from Ayreon before, nor do the songs stick out above anything from earlier albums. Also the concept fails to work. It doesn't improve the individual songs and it doesn't have the coherence from the Human Equation or Electric Castle. Call it lack of inspiration or lack of conviction in the Ayreon formula on Arjen Lucassen's part.

The approach is the same as on the Human equation. Two cd's of rock opera with plenty of heavy metal and symphonic rock influences. The cast is baffling, featuring some of the most remarkable voices in metal of the last ten years.

On paper it sounds like a recipe for success but the whole enterprise doesn't get off the ground. It takes an extreme effort to sit through this tepid album and not press the skip button before each song is halfway through. Just too predictable and deja-entendu.

It's a much better idea to ignore this album altogether and have another go at one of the earlier rock operas that preceded it. The Ayreon saga has reached a disappointing end.

At times, Lyrics can make or break a concept album. I'll start with the last track, beautiful song, love it, but the lyrics......

There are also a couple of other songs, E=MC2...cringe. Then there are songs like "New Born Race"...cringe, just not to my taste. Then there's Liquid Eternity, I like it, the chorus is just repeated a bit too much.

Now other than those, for me, this is the discovery album for Ayreaon. I tried Human Equation and a few others a while back and they just didn't click.

Having a veritable who's who of vocalists providing their voices is a novelty, it makes things interesting. You can look at the list. I don't listen to all of them in their own bands, so some are a discovery. It's good to hear Jorn Lande singing prog again, his voice and delivery does have character. Hansi Kursch chimes in in a similar way. Daniel Gildenlow is developing a different style these days, but still impresses with his soaring high notes. I'm not sure who sings the quiet bit in Age of Shadows, but I like it. The female vocals are also beautiful, though I don't listen to Epica, etc.

Musically, we have some great one-off keyboard solos from Derek Sherinian and Tomas Bodin along with some great guitar solos from Arjen and some special guests. Drums provided Ed Warby shouldn't be downplayed either.

Age of Reason is a great catchy opener, apart from the 80's keyboards, before the next track which has a more Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine sound. There's an industrial keyboard feel throughout the album, tempered by the folkier songs. Melodies jump out and catch your brain, with Beneath the Waves being one of the strongest in the middle of the album.

Chop out those cringey songs listed above and proceed to the end of the album and it really is a high quality progressive rock/metal album with a lot of variation to stretch your imagination and melodies to hum in your head.

In the end, this is an excellent addition to ANY prog rock music collection, despite a few cringes along the way.

Now Ayreon (for those of you who have been living in caves) is a project created by Arjen Anthony Lucassen the creator of..things. He also has another two projects/bands in the form of Star One and Guilt Machine and also formed Stream Of Passion. This being the latest offering with the wierdly confusing title 01011001, i believe its some kind of morse code.., anyway the concept is rather confusing and long winded to put on here but lets just say it involves different worlds and universes and whatnot (typical prog stuff then).

The cool thing about these albums is that it isnt just Arjen on these albums, oh no no, he gets some of the greatest voices and musicians in prog rock and metal to sing and play on these albums, and this one is no different, Daniel Gildenlöw from Pain Of Salvation, Simone Simons from Epica, Jørn Lande from Masterplan and Hansi Kürsch from the fantastic Blind Guardian are just some of the amazing vocalists on this album with the occasional guest guitar solo and keyboard solo from people such as Michael Romeo and Joost van den Broek.

Everything about this album is fantastic the production is so clean and everything just jumps out at you, even the accoustic guitars really shine, with some of the strongest vocal proformances i've ever heard, overall just fantastic. Not only that but every style of genre worth thinking about is covered here from regular prog rock/ metal (the opening track AGE OF SHADOWS) big bombastic almost musical like proformances (BENEATH THE WAVES, NEWBORN RACE) theres also folk rock stylings (WEB OF LIES, THE TRUTH IS IN HERE) and a touch of electronica (COMATOSE) not only that, with this being a double album its 2 CDs of non stop greatness;

CD 1

Age Of Shadows - 10/10 Comatose - 7/10 Liquid Eternity - 8/10 Connect The Dots - 7/10 Beneath The Waves - 9/10 Newborn Race - 10/10 Ride The Comet - 8/10 Web Of Lies - 8/10

CD 2

The Fifth Extinction - 9/10 Walking Dreams - 8/10 The Truth Is In Here - 8/10 Unnatural Selection - 8/10 River Of Time - 9/10 E=mc2 - 8/10 The Sixth Extinction - 10/10

My Conclusion? I would highly recomend this album to anyone prog fan or not. Instant Classic.

Wow, this album is totally excellent thats all there is to it I found out about this band all by mistake, just looking randomly through Lastfm and I came across this guy who's favorite band was this one, and I was curious to know about them and got 01011001 (which is the binary code for the first cd Y). The mastermind that is Arjen Anthony Lucassen, brings to me a masterpiece of music, with lots of guest muscians and singers, excellent singers may I add. From the Coverdale-esq vocals of the wonderful Jorn Lande, to the jester like Hansi Kursh, to the harmoniously Floor Jansen and Anneke van Giersbergen. A special mention goes to Tom Englund and Steve Lee, for their totally excellent vocal sparring on the track UNNATURAL SELECTION

From the get go of Disc 1 Y, AGE OF SHADOWS, the album just takes you on a wonderous sci-fi story of helpless 'Forevers' moving to a new planet, and random stories of the unexpected earth dwellers. All the songs on both cds are really impressive with the vast pot of different style added to the mixture. I love COMATOSE, with the vocals of Jorn and Anneke contemplating their own destruction. and CONNECT THE DOTS, the little upbeat song about all the bad things we humans do (naughty humans), with Arjen supplying backup to Ty Tabor as his conscience (thats a scary thought, your conscience having a different voice).

Disc 2 Eath, is when they actually get to thier destination and decide whether or not to eradicate the growing life of dinosaurs on THE FIFTH EXTINCTION to plant thier seed of life (unable to decide the crash anyway destroying the dinosaurs, poor dinos). WAKING DREAMS, happens as humans are still waiting to be presented with various procedures of wisdom, power and emotion onto the Planet Y. Cumulating in the epic finale of THE SIXTH EXTINCTION, the really scarily high operatic vocals give it a frieghtening overload of joy to my ears. thus the ending of the human race in 2084 (an omen of things to come) definatly a fantasic way to end the album.

This album is a must have for any Prog lover, and is a masterpiece (though I haven't heard any of the other Ayreon albums)

Special thanks goes to Arjen for getting me into some of the bands singers that featured on this album.

5 Stars.

The packaging is fantastic even before we get to the music, featuring scintillating artwork and all the lyrics represented on a well set out booklet, and all the guest artists are listed when they sing which helps a lot. The best way to purchase this is to ensure you get the special edition which comes in a beautiful little box with a DVD of certain tracks and some higher quality versions.

The guest artists are an incredible plethora of talent from a variety of genres. Namely there is the amazing Anneke Van Giersbergen of The Gathering, Bob Catley the power vocalist of Magnum and Daniel Gildenlöw the extraordinaly voice of Pain Of Salvation. Floor Jansen is brilliant as always, and has featured on Ayreon projects especially Star One. Jonas Renkse from Katatonia is captivating as is Simone Simons, the wondrous enchantress of Epica. Ayreon as usual is utterly sparkling on guitar and keys, and in fact all musicians are virtuoso talents.

The concept is heavy handed and difficult to grasp not that it matters, it is the overall experience of being transported to another realm that is the ultimate pleasure for Ayreonauts. The guitars are heavy at times but there are enormous slices of ambience. A lot of this is familiar territory to early Ayreon though nothing compares to the masterpiece The Human Equation. As a followup this latest album is a delight although not as brillaint as THAT album, which is almost impossible to beat. This is more like the kid sister of Into The Electric Castle especially in concept and musical dexterity.

The songs themselves are not as memorable but the whole album as an entire epic concept works on the senses as it is playing. Nothing really sinks in after the album has finished and this is unusual for Ayreon. Highlights are still here and it is evident as soon as the track ends that you have heard a classic, namely Liquid Eternity, and Ride the Comet. The Truth Is Out There is a standout where Arjen shines on vocals. Unnatural Selection has a huge passage of incredible instrumentation and really blows the walls apart with sheer power and force.

I have to say this is perhaps not the place to start for newcomers to Ayreon as Into the Electric Castle and The Human Equation bury it, both conceptually and musically, however there is nothing wrong with taking the 01011001 journey after one has settled into the uncanny world of Ayreon.

I really enjoyed most of Mr. Lucassen's projects and especially his Ayreon project, something he started way back in 1995. Each album in this project has improved upon the last and culminated with his 2004 masterpiece The Human Equation. Ahh, but where do you go from here? Can it actually get any better?

Unfortunately for Ayreon, 0101101 just doesn't seem to match up to the quality of previous efforts. I just cannot put my finger on why this is case for this album. It has the feel of being thrown together and it has the feeling of following "the formula." Not that following the formula is a bad thing, it's just the quality of the material just doesn't match up to the formula. I'm not going to go into the storyline of 0101101 because other reviewers already have. I don't think the concept is as badly conceived as others have stated. I think it's more in the music and the delivery of that music. I don't know exactly how I can put this in words, but it would seem that Ayreon is experiencing the "doldrums," for a lack of a better term. That's the feeling I get with this album. The excitement is gone.

Still, Mr. Lucassen and his host of guests are technically proficient and the concept is decent enough. Some songs are good, some are skippers. Overall, I don't think this is bad enough to warrant two stars. It has its good moments, so I feel confident in giving this a middle-of-the-road three star rating.

I hope this is just a bump in the road and not the start of a decline for Ayreon. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

And here it is, my favorite Ayreon album, and why, I'll tell ye why...

The songs are the best Arjen has ever written, and don't try and argue with me on that.

The line up is the best it has ever been, Daniel Gildenlow,JORN LANDE!!!, Floor Jansen, Simone Simons, Steve Lee (RIP), Hansi Kusch, Jonas Renske, only to name a few...

It's so different from any other Ayreon album, and I know it has that distinctive Ayreon sound, but it also has a wider range of influences, and all you skeptics out their who claim that its just repetitive and the same as all the other Ayreon albums need to grow up, stop being so smug, picky and glum and just listen and enjoy.

And the story is also the most interesting with some aspects of the overall Ayreon concept, with a broader reach on the stort, e.g. going from Y to Earth, from Forever and the humans point of view.

And as a double album, it's actually quite snugly packed, with the total length just under 2 hours, perfect.

CD 1 (Y)

1. Age Of Shadows - The chorus is amazing, and this song got me interested in the amazing power of Steve Lee, and his cheesy as hell band Gotthard. Sadly Steve died a few weeks ago in a motorcycle accident, and it's such a shame because he was another amazing talent lost this year (alot of vocalists have bitten the dust this year, Dio & Pete Steele come to mind). The We Are Forever part has amazing use of vocorder and some nice counterpoint. 10/10

2. Comatose - Jorn does have a nice calm voice in this song. The calm nature of this song is amazing, and the chorus is lovely. 10/10

3. Liquid Eternity - Kick ass song, with the highlight being the epic vocals from Tom Englund in the bridge (even though I've got mixed feelings about Evergrey). 10/10

4. Connect The Dots - I do really like this song and I do think it is infectiously catchy, but the lyrics are bit too odd, and seem confused and a wee bit "trying to be modern" for Arjen. 9/10

5. Beneath The Waves - Great vocals and some great instrumental work. 9/10

6. Newborn Race - Best song on the album. If you need the definition of a vocal battle hear it is. I can rhyme this song off like gospel, I love it too bits. 11/10

7. Ride The Comet - Pretty epic chours. Some nice riffing. 8/10

8. Web Of Lies - Great vocals from Simone, but I'm not the biggest fan of Phideaux's vocals. 9/10

CD 2 (Earth)

1. The 5th Extinction - Instrumentally this song is epic as hell. The vocals are just good as well. 10/10

2. Waking Dreams - Lovely chorus and the instrumentation is odd, but it works. 10/10

3. The Truth Is In Here - Again, some odd lyrics, but classic Ayreon really. 9/10

4. Unnatural Selection - Some odd arrangments, but the most epic bit is the vocal battle between Bob & Steve (even though I don't really like Bob Catley's vocals.) 9/10

5. River Of Time - Hansi just rules this song. Great chorus. 10/10

6. E=MC2 - The chorus is amazing, especially the repeat with the descant harmonies. Just epic as hell really. 10/10

7. The 6th Extinction - Very epic and so over the top. The highlight of this one really is the meld of Jonas' growls and Floor's amazing luscious high alto warbles. The riffing at the end is also very spine chilling, expecially when the last vocals you hear is Steve Lees (again, the dead really do have an odd effect). 10/10

CONCLUSION: This was my first Ayreon album, and even after hearing their other efforts, nothing will beat it in my opinion. This might be Ayreons last album, because of certain big mouthed nosed stupid, hipster critics didn't really like this album, which made me sad, because because of those a***holes Arjen decided not to continue the traditional Ayreon tradition, and being an Ayreon fan, made me very angry. Critics need to wisen up, and Arjen should really do it for the fans, not for those awkward cretins.

Great album!Here Arjen Lucassen continued the space/futuristic concept.This album is about the end of the world.What can I say for this album?Fantastic compositions/ideas,vocalists,lyrics and instrumentalists.There's a big variety in music.Metal,classical,folk,electronic and opera.The music is calm,angry,positive,negative,heavy,operatic e.t.c.There are two sides(2 cds).The Y side and the Earth side.

The artwork is fantastic!Very sci-fi influenced and describes very well the concept.

My favorite tracks are:The Y side:Age of shadows(great beginning,wonderful vocals by Jonas renkse and Anneke Giersbergen in We are forever,2nd favorite track),Comatose,Liquid eternity,Beneath the waves(sad and strange feeling) and Ride the comet.The Earth side:The fifth extinction(Great heavy metal scream by Jorn Lande),Waking dreams(great vocal performance by Jonas renkse and again),Unnatural selection(positive spirit) and The sixth extinction(great growls by Jonas Renkse and a terrific ending).

My favorite vocalists are:Jonas Renkse(my most favorite),Daniel Gildenlow,Jorn Lande and Anneke Giersbergen.

For all music lovers.A musical gem!You must hear this album!

My grade:8,8/10

When you listen to one of Arjen Lucassen's Ayreon albums, you are in for an amazing treat: It is like going to the theater and experiencing an epic science fiction movie.

He immerses you into a story with sound effects and hard-driving rock with influences from Pink Floyd, Genesis, Dream Theater, Alan Parsons, and Metallica, depending on the song you're listening to.

And it all flows together in an amazing seamless story. Ayreon's best album remains The Human Equation, but this album is still an amazing accomplishment.

Especially good are the haunting vocals of Jonas Renkse of the band, Katatonia. His contribution makes this album, in my opinion, as he sings on "Liquid Eternity" and "Waking Dreams."

This album is amazing, its a rollercoaster ride of Proggy goodness, I stumbled across Ayreon by being on this site and have since shared it amongst my friends, I love a lot of this guys music but this album is by far and away my favourite, stand out tracks, Liquid Eternity, Connect the Dots and Ride the Comet, I love the use of the female vocals to compliment the lead vocals and think that the heavy grooving guitars give an amazing punch, I would recommend this album to new comers to prog, especially those coming across from european metal, its a great intro into the weird and wonderful world that prog can be and will have you singing along in no time! 8/10

Review Nº 487

"01011001" is the eighth studio album of Ayreon, the musical project by the Dutch songwriter, producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen and was released in 2008. As happened with every Ayreon's albums, this is also a conceptual album with each character being portrayed by only one singer. So, we have seventeen singers in total, including Lucassen himself, who contributed to the album, more than in other Ayreon's albums. Of all, except Lucassen of course, only Anneke van Giersbergen and Floor Jansen had sung on previous Ayreon's albums. Anneke had sung on "Into The Electric Castle" and Floor sung on "The Universal Migrator Part One: The Dream Sequencer".

As happened with "Into The Electric Castle" and "The Human Equation", Lucassen didn't write all the lyrics of the album. So, all the lyrics were written by Lucassen and all the music was also composed by him with the exception of two. Anneke van Giersbergen wrote her own vocal melodies and Jonas Renkse also wrote his own vocal melodies.

The concept of the album is about its title "01011001". Lucassen chose the number "01011001" as the name to the album because it's the binary form of the number "89" which is the ASCII code of the letter "Y". Fans of Ayreon's project know the stories behind "Into The Electric Castle" and "The Universal Migrator", and remember that the story of these concept albums is about the humans and the "Forever" people who live on the planet "Y". A long time ago, those people forgot all their emotions and sent a comet to Earth with their DNA to re-create their race, pure and innocence. As all we know, the reality will be different for humanity, and "01011001", of course, deals with this problem. This new musical project of Ayreon is full of metaphors and questions about the human being conditions and ecology. Through a really and true good sci-fi story, Arjenn asks a lot of questions about our world and our existence in the entire Universe.

The vocalists are divided into the characters of "Forever" and the characters of "Mankind". Each song features one specific race but the songs are placed amongst each other. The line up on the album is divided into vocalists and instrumentalists. The "Forever" vocalists are: Hansi Kursch, Tom S. Englund, Jorn Lande, Steve Lee, Floor Jansen, Daniel Gildenlow, Jonas Renkse, Anneke van Giersbergen, Bob Catley and Magali Luyten. The "Mankind" vocalists are: Simone Simons, Wudstik, Liselotte Hegt, Ty Tabor, Phideaux Xavier, Marjan Welman and Arjen Anthony Lucassen. The instrumentalists are: Arjen Anthony Lucassen (electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, mandolin, keyboards, synthesizers, Hammond and Solina strings), Michael Romeo (guitar), Lori Linstruth (guitar), Tomas Bodin (synthesizer), Joost van den Broek (synthesizer and piano), Derek Sherinian (synthesizer), Jeroen Goossens (flute, soprano and tenor recorder, bass flute and tin whistle), Ben Mathot (violins), David Faber (cellos), and Ed Warby (drums and percussion).

The music of "01011001" is back to the futuristic mode. Sure, you'll always find some good heavy metal riffs with folk elements but the "spatial" sounds are back and the keyboards and electronic sounds are really present on this release. All songs are catchy and with great melodies, and I like to hear a lot of different influences on them. All in all, the music of this Ayreon's album isn't basically too fast. It's purely deep atmospheric and progressive metal. The melodies are touching, the choruses are catchy. You just have here everything you need to enjoy a good moment. But, of course you must love Lucassen's prog style to enter into the music of this Ayreon's work. "01011001" isn't an easy album to digest. Sometimes it sounds a bit commercial, sometimes it's dark and sometimes it's even sad. But, for my taste, the music on this release is beautiful and totally unconventional. Basically, this album is a fusion of the best parts of Ayreon, Ambeon, Star One and Stream Of Passion. So, what you can get here is awesome as you would think. The best part in some context is like a mountain peak, a true release of emotions that stands out. Everything here is excellently made and produced to the maximum. That's all good here since Lucassen produced this release with the best means of production, as usual. Even the artwork is superb as usual, and it can describe perfectly well the spatial world of Ayreon.

Conclusion: "01011001" is another amazing album of Ayreon. Arjen is back into the cosmos and it's nice to follow this space odyssey once more. "01011001" is a masterpiece. I hope that people will remember all these songs for many years to come. I can see why some people dislike Arjen's works but they just have to remember that it's just a matter of taste. Ayreon is unique and is in a league of its own in which nothing can compete with it. The style of this album isn't surprising. Even more than on "The Human Equation" the songs sound in the familiar Ayreon's style. Sometimes, parts of melodies seem to be a copy of tunes of other Ayreon's albums. But, this doesn't mean this album is predictable or just not interesting for people who already have all other Ayreon's albums. He just has taken the music moulted it into perfection. So, Arjen has done it again and was able to create an album also similar in quality to "The Human Equation".

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Another perfect Ayreon musical journey

For me "The Universal Migrator" and "The Human Equation" are one of the best albums ever made and definitely those that made me fall head over heals in love with Arjen Lucassen's music. Therefore I had truly high expectations when "01011001" came out. However, the first impression wasn't what I had hoped at all. For one, the title sucks utter crap and the cover art is pretentious at best. Fortunately it so happens that this is a diamond in the ruff, for behind the ugly exterior it lays a true treasure.

There are many reasons why I find this album to be a masterpiece. First of all it is performed by the strongest line-up ever to be seen on a metal album, secondly the song material is pure awesomeness and thirdly it has the purest and most wonderful production. When I first examined the line-up I was very pleased to find names like Jonas P Renkse, Jorn Lande, Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tom S. Englund (Evergrey) and Daniel Gildenlöv (Pain of Salvation) which are all great singers, but the unquestionably best recruit in my book is my own personal favorite Anneke van Giersbergen (ex- The Gathering) who totally owns this album. What wonderful vocals which incidentally fits perfectly with this futuristic progressive metal soundscape!

In the end, one must however admit that the line- up wouldn't have been something to cheer about if it wasn't for the songs, or should I say conceptual journey, this album has to offer. The red thread shines clearer than ever before and makes Tobias Sammet's attempts to create metal operas seem like something carelessly wrapped together (which they for the record are not). The material is varied but at the same time glued together with perfect execution and if it had contained a few more heavy parts, like on the opener "Age of Shadows", it would have been a full pointer if I've ever seen one.

In the end I would say "01011001" is quite on par with "The Universal Migrator" and "The Human Equation", making it one of the best concept albums in the history of metal!