Ayreon "Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer" english summary

Mastermind Arjen Lucassen ist zurück. Es ist schwer, wenn einem Musiker die Last eines Meisterwerks wie "Into the electric castle" als Maßstab auf den Schultern liegt. Da gibts nur eins: Sich auf die eigenen kompositorischen Fähigkeiten besinnen und ein Album schaffen, das zwar anders ist, aber dennoch die üblichen Tugenden nicht vermissen lässt. Entstanden ist schliesslich das als zwei separate (!!) CDs veröffentliche Konzeptwerk "Universal migrator". Dieses besteht aus der melodischen, atmosphärischen und eher progrock-orientierten CD "The Dream Sequencer" und dem Album "Flight of the migrator", welches sich in härteren sowie progmetallischeren Gefilden bewegt. Dieses Review behandelt die erstere CD. Das Review des zweiten Teils findet sich in den Progmetal-Reviews.

Die Story
Wir schreiben das 22.te Jahrhundert. Vor etwas mehr als hundert Jahren wurde durch einen verheerenden Weltkrieg alles Leben auf der Erde vernichtet. Während dieser Zeit befanden sich auf dem Mars einige Kolonisten, die den vernichtenden Ausgang des "Final experiment" aus der Ferne verfolgen mussten. Die Lebensmittel-Vorräte der Kolonie gingen rasch zu Ende und so starb die gesamte Marskolonie aus ... bis auf eine Person ... die Hauptperson des Konzeptalbums ... auf dem unfreundlichen Planet Mars geboren ... ohne jegliche Vorstellung, wie bewohnbar die Erde einst einmal war. Um das Leben auf dem Mars einigermaßen erträglich zu machen, entwarfen seinerzeit findige Wissenschaftler der Kolonie eine Maschine, die denjenigen, der sich an sie anschloss durch Hypnose zurück in seine Kindheit und die Leben davor versetzen kann. Mit diesem "Dream Sequencer" unternimmt unsere Hauptperson eine Reise durch seine Inkarnationen.

Die Musik
"The dream sequencer" spricht vor allem die Liebhaber von atmosphärischen, spacigem, leicht düsterem Neoprog an. Ein toller und spaciger Synthi-Track stimmt auf die angenehme Atmosphäre der kommenden 70 Minuten ein. Mit My house on mars gibts mit Johan Edlund (TIAMAT) und der AFTER-FOREVER Frontfrau Floor Jansen eine kraftvolle Midtempo Ayreon-Hymne mit "A deeper kind of slumber"-Flair. Düster, elegisch, stampfend und dennoch äußerst dahinschmelzend wird es dann bei 2084 mit Lana Lane. Die Zeitreise geht weiter, z.B. ins Jahr 1969 zur Mondlandung (balladesk, toller Instrumentalpart mit gefühlvollen Keyboard-Guitar-Doppel bei kraftvollem Hammond-Support), zur Szenerie eines Rembrandt-Bildes (herrliches Mellotron, verwaschene Piano-Klänge, wabernde Gitarre), zu einem Maya-Tempel (orchestraler Song mit Streichern, leiser Akustikgitarre, angenehmen Vocals von Jaqueline Govaert und vergnügtem Mellotron-Sound), zu Stonehenge (Damian Wilson) bevor Neil Morse in einer Mixtur aus Spock's Beard, Beatles, Mike Batt und (natürlich) Ayreon als First man on earth an der Reihe ist. Das Album schliesst in Musical-Manier mit einer Reprise des Openers ... The dream sequencer.

Wer melodischen Rock und/oder song-orientierten Soft-Prog liebt, der kommt um Teil 1 dieses Werks nicht drum herum. Heavy Metal Freaks und Progmetal-Maniacs werden hier sicherlich nicht auf ihre Kosten kommen. Aber genau deswegen hat man sich ja fairerweise für die Aufteilung in zwei CDs entschieden, denn somit ersparen sich Metalheads die Koffeintabletten und Progrock-Puristen den Baldrian.

Ayreon-Fans werden um beide Alben nicht herumkommen, denn vor allem die Kombination beider Alben macht den Reiz der Sache aus, ist seitens der Story jedoch nicht unbedingt zwingend. Wertung: 7
Bitte erwähne bei einer eventuellen Bestellung, daß Dein Interesse von der DURP geweckt wurde.

Introduction
Arjen Lucassen strikes back. It is difficult to top a great opus like the "Electric Castle"-album and so the best what Arjen could do is to rely on his great composing skills and to create an album that sounds different, but still has the typical feeling of an Ayreon album. The new concept album "Universal migrator" constists of two separate (!!) albums. The first CD "The Dream sequencer" is a melodic, ambient and song oriented album. The second CD "Flight of the migrator" is a heavy progressive adventure through time and space. This review covers the first CD, "The dream sequencer". The review of the second CD can be found in the progmetal review section.

The story
It's the twenty-second century. More than a hundred years have passed since the last world war destroyed all life on planet earth. A number of colonists were at the planet Mars during that struggle, from where they observed the annihilation of earth from a remote distance. For years they were able to survive with the supplies they had brought from earth. By now these stocks are depleted and none of the colonists have survived, except for the main figure of our story. He is the sole survivor, a child of one of the original Mars colonists. He has never set foot on earth. To make the tedious life at Mars a little bit bearable clever technicians designed the Dream Sequencer, a machine that enables them to travel back under hypnosis to their own childhood, but also to the lives before that. Their preincarnations so to speak. In this way the main figure witnesses the first landing on the moon in 1969, he was a standard-bearer in the famous Rembrandt picture "The night watch" (17th century), he appears to be a reincarnation of Aryeon (6th century), he was present when Stonehenge was built (2300 BC) and once, in the mists of time, he was the first erect human being on earth (50000 BC).

The music
This CD is for the floating, dark, melodic, ambient neoprog-lovers out there. A great and spacy synthi track (The dream sequencer) introduces to the stunning atmosphere of this 70 minutes and describes how the main figure connects himself to the dream sequencer machine. On My house on mars the main figure has arrived in his childhood (he was born on the Mars colony) realizing that he will never see the Planet Earth. The daring, but great track could be described as mix of TIAMAT (on "Deeper kind of slumber" ... it's no surprise as Johan Edlund sings here) and a powerful Ayreon midtempo hymn.
The journey back in time continues. It's 2084 a.d. - the final experiment has failed. A devastating world war destroyed all life on earth. This is a dark, epic, stamping and still very floating track with great relieving vocals of Lana Lane which gets heavier every minute.
The next stop in our journey is July 1969 as One small step on the moon united the entire world for a short time. A slow, ballad-alike track with a great instrumental passage in the middle part (highly sensitive keyboard, guitar with powerful hammond support).
The superb and freakin' varied The shooting company of captain Frans C. Cocq takes us to the posing for the dutch master painter Rembrandt. Mellotron, old piano, floating guitars, soft atmosphere in powerful sound ... simply great !
Time again for Lana Lane during the calm Dragon on the sea (Sir Francis Drake defends the english realm against the invading armada).
Beautifully orchestrated the Mayan girl heads for the Jaguar temple in Tikal (Temple of the cat). Strings, decent acoustic guitar, warm female vocals of Jaqueline Govaert and interesting use of mellotron sound.
With a folky melody the blind minstrel Ayreon is our next stop in time (Carried by the wind). Of course Arjen sings the vocals on this one. Very nice track with strong drive.
The moon shines bright on the Salisbury plain. We're at Stonehenge (2800 B.C.) and are witnesses of the Druids turning to stone. Again a very atmospheric, calm and spacy track with cosy but haunting athmosphere. Great vocals by Damian Wilson by the way.
The freakiest, most varied track takes place in 50,000 B.C. as Neil Morse sings The first man on earth. A very hymnic track between Spock's Beard, Mike Batt, The Beatles and floating rock.
The album ends with a instrumental reprise of The dream sequencer, adding very much musical flair to the overall atmosphere of this CD.

Summary
If you like melodic rock or song oriented prog in the typical style of Ayreon, then this is an album for you. It is not that catchy as the calm songs of "The electric castle" but the atmosphere it creates is simply great. Heavy metal freaks and progmetal maniacs could find this album a bit too soft. But that's why this concept album is separated into two CDs ... which is a very fair gesture as pure progrockers aren't killed by the second album and pure metalheads are not bored by the the first album.

Overall summary
Fans of Ayreon have to get both CDs ... the combination of both is simply great, but not necessary if you aren't open minded for both melodic prog and progressive metal. Two questions remain: Is anybody able to stop the Ayreon project ? And is there a "thank you Gjalt" out in space ? 7 points
Don't forget to mention the DURP in your order !