Universal Migrator, Pts. 1-2 - Dark Publications

Location: Home » music » General » Universal Migrator, Pts. 1-2

Similar Items:

•	Into the Electric Castle
•	The Final Experiment
•	The Human Equation [Regular Edition]
•	01011001
•	Actual Fantasy Revisited

Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
From the hallowed vaults of Inside Out Music comes this specially priced and re-packaged two disc set. Originally released in 2000 as two separate CDs, The Dream Sequencer and Flight of the Migrator combine to play out an epic musical drama: A futuristic Sci-Fi adventure that propels the listener through both time and space.

Like his previous Ayreon and Star One titles, Maestro Arjen Lucassen has once again assembled an all-star cast. The Universal Migrator features guest appearances from Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Michael Romeo and Russel Allen (Symphony X), Fabio Lione (Rhapsody), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), and Neal Morse (ex Spock's Beard) among many others.

Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer October 31, 2004
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is going to be a two-part review because I just don't think it would be right to review 135 minutes of music with tons of singers and musicians in a single review. The main reason, however, is because I can't decide if this deserves a 5 or 4-star rating as I love The Dream Sequencer way too much to rate it so poorly.

The Dream Sequencer was originally released in 2000 by Transmission Records as a single CD release but in the back of the CD it was clearly mentioned that it was the first part of a double album. This is Arjen's song-oriented and melodic approach to an atmospheric journey through time and space. I'll be honest; over the 4 years I've owned this disc, I've never paid much attention to the concept but the thing still struck me as deeply moving and emotional on a lyrical aspect.

I like this disc better than Flight of the Migrator because it features some of the 'most fitting' singers Arjen has ever worked with. It was a good insight on what singers like Johan Edlund and Neal Morse are capable of if they partake in such projects. Unlike the other Ayreon releases, each song on the Universal Migrator records features a single singer except for occasional back-ups and it's this what makes The Dream Sequencer so beautiful. After the heavily atmospheric intro layered with depths of emotion on the title track, we're introduced to "My House on Mars" sung by Johan Edlund of Tiamat fame. Edlund's vocal delivery is one of the finest on the entire disc; he possesses a low, melancholic voice similar to Dan Swano's singing on the Star One project. Also, both Arjen and Edlund being big Pink Floyd fans, their collaboration in the songwriting is perfect. While Edlund wrote his own vocal melodies, Arjen came up with the lyrics. Floor Jansen's back-up vocals in this track complement everything beautifully. Another great track is "One Small Step" delivered by Edward Reekers. Reekers is a long-time Ayreon 'member' and he sings in a warm voice over symphonic arrangements. Somehow I feel Arjen further explored this type of vocal stylings on his new album The Human Equation. This track also has a slow yet incredibly profound guitar solo that builds up delicately in a nice Pink Floyd style.

Lana Lana and another Ayreon veteran Damian Wilson are the two singers who appear on both Migrator albums. Wilson sings on "And the Druids Turned to Stone" which begins with a very cold, almost creepy intro but is turned into a heartfelt tune thanks to Damian Wilson's indestructable vocals. There is another magnificent guitar solo here; the bluesy melody is played over acoustic guitars and once again the Floydan keyboards give it a very moving vibe. I have to give kudos to both keyboardists on this disc, Erik Norlander and Clive Nolan. They are living proof that you can capture a totally unique style without having to be flashy. On this album the guitar work isn't very dominant; it's sparsely used because the songs are more centred around atmospheric keyboard and synth-driven melodies.

Most of the songs are within the 7 or 8-minute mark but there are also more compact tunes, one of which is delivered by Arjen Lucassen himself ("Carried by the Wind"). The other short-song "Temple of the Cat" is performed by female vocalist Jacqueline Govaert. The Neal Morse-sung "The First Man on Earth" has a very happy-go intro and Beatles-like back-ups by Mark McCrite. Morse is not a very technical singer but his work with the amazing prog band Spock's Beard clearly shows that he has tremendous expression in his singing. He doesn't disappoint in Ayreon either and the guitar solo that follows is simply fantastic.

The Dream Sequencer is easily one of my top 5 Arjen Lucassen albums. I remember I didn't care for it much when I first got it, but with each passing year, it's grown on me and now I consider it a very unique offering in Ayreon's ever-growing back catalog. I believe you'll discover the deepness and richness of The Dream Sequencer only if you keep listening to it patiently. 70 minutes of prog masterpiece. Period.

3 out of 5 stars

(3.5 stars) Good Album, Significant Weak Moments October 11, 2004
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

The Universal Migrator double CD set has finally been rereleased containing both the Dreamsequencer and Flight of the Migrator albums. The musical genius Arjen Lucassen decided not to put any bonus tracks on the disc as to be fair to those who have already purchased the albums separately, although the selling price is a lot cheaper (2 for 1). The storyline is that of a Machine called the Migrator that takes the inhabitant through a mind journey of space and time, the first disc seems to me that of exploration, and the second is where the story becomes more intense. It's a little tough to follow because there aren't character roles as in Arjen's latest Album "The Human Equation." This time he's got different vocalists like Lana Lane, Russell Allen, Bruce Dickenson amoung others.

The first disc "Dreamsequencer" is the softer of the 2. There are lots of 70's influenced prog rock elements taken from such bands as the Beatles (late) and Pink Floyd but all basically kept at a very spacey level. While his latest album "Human Equation" he takes more of a diverse approach including all influences from Prog Metal, Hardcore, Celtic, Folk, 70's Prog Rock, this album is more of an abundance of synthesizer melodies, atmospheres and effects as tied well w/ the futuristic, intergalactic storyline. The music is very atmospheric, and not really about instantly catchy moments but more of stretched out melodies from the use of vocals as well as instrumentals. The opening instrumental isn't all that big a deal but the first real track "My House on Mars" is an incredible song, w/ it's beautiful futuristic main guitar lead and swapped vocal chorus is a track that'll be repeated over and over. Other great songs are the Beatles influenced "The First Man on Earth" and female sung "Temple of the Cat." There are a few skippers on this one. Now, even though the not so good songs aren't good b/c of their rather slow undiverse choruses, there is still plenty of depth and good moments w/in them, which is still able to be appreciated. An example would would be "Carried by the Wind" which even though has a pretty catchy guitar melody, it's repeated too many times giving the song almost no diversity. Also, some songs are just too long for their own good. I'd give the first disc 3 stars. Some fantastic songs worth owning, some skippers, but nothing BAD.

The second overall better disc "..Migrator" is the heavier of the two. This one's got a mix of heavy power chord prog metal and spacey atmospheres. After the just OK opening instrumental, "Dawn of the Million Souls" is a good song as sung by Sir Russell Allen but really only has a good chorus backing it up, which I guess doesnt qualify for a GREAT song. The good songs continue w/ "Journey on the waves of time" and the best song on both discs "To the Quasar," which has got a beautiful pulse rhythmic synth progression along w/ a "twilight" guitar melody during the verses and a hypnotic chorus which just oozes w/ imaginative inspiration. This is one of the few songs you can let play w/ your imagination.
The next few songs aren't as good but still worthy, such as "Through the WormHole" and the melodically sung "to the solar system." What I didn't like about this disc inparticular was how at some moments Lucassen just seemed to get too carried away w/ the continuous keyboard and guitar runs. the 10+ minute "Into the Black HOle" is a decent song but not enough to sustain such a length, plus i feel it gets too complex for its own good (as are a few other songs on this album). this disc ends weakly w/ the unmelodic and plain chorus of the final track "The New Migrator." I'd give this disc 4 stars, mostly great stuff, some that is really "too much" but again, nothing BAD.

The great thing about Arjen's music is that no matter what type of music you're into, there is something to love on his albums, a good amount to love to warrent a purchase. When this guy write a good song, it becomes a beautiful, fantastic song. Sure there may be some skippers on this album (i really like about 11 or 12 of the 20 tracks), and it's not all really a drive in your car type of thing, but more of a lay back and enjoy type music, but overall I still think Arjen's a musical genius, and w/ the $15 price tag for 2 discs, it's definitely a no brainer. Sure it's not as diverse as the latest, but the story line calls for a such a sound, and w/in that particular sound, the album is incredibly diverse. I mostly gave this a 3.5 star review b/c after being completely blown away by "The Human Equation" I guess I was expecting the same, but 3.5 isn't a bad review, it's good, just w/ some "not as good" spots.

3 out of 5 stars

Mixed - not Arjen's best October 27, 2004
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is a two CD set re-release of Universal Migrator and Dream Sequencer, which were separate albums back in 2000. Universal Migrator is supposed to be heavier and Dream Sequencer more keyboard driven and atmospheric.
Instead of multiple singers per song, Arjen has one main singer per song. This is where it goes wrong. The singing styles and sometimes the mixes are different enough that it is uneven, especially on the Universal Migrator CD. The guitar and keyboard are still good, however. Russel Allen sings Dawn of a MIllion Souls, which is my favorite song on this CD. Russel is one of my favorite singers and Symphony X is one of my top three fave bands, so it sets a standard that leaves me somewhat disappointed afterward.
This review and my opinion are actually my own fault because I started my Ayreon fixation with the new Human Equation, which is absolutely amazing (except for one song) and Star One Live. The Star One Live CD has live versions of Dawn of a Million Souls and Into the Black Hole, easily the two best songs on this set. The live versions are slightly faster and more intense and Dawn of a Million Souls has a slightly different arrangement. The keyboard and guitar intro to Dawn of a Million Souls is inspired and awesome on both versions, but I like the live version better.

5 out of 5 stars

Dark side of the Mars + Orchestral metal goes to space January 11, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

On the recommendation of a fellow metal-lover, i picked this up, and i am speechless.
The first disc is the progressive rock side, and its flowing, spacey tunes coupled with the equally cosmic theme gives off the distinctive air of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. While i love Pink Floyd and was amazed by disc one, i was itching to get to disc 2, which, in all honesty, was a tad weaker.
Despite this, disc 2 was still captivating, starting off strong, continuting a general metal feel in the middle, though nothing my jaded ears hadn't herd before. But If one is truly absorbed by the music at this point, the 50 seconds before the booming finale are legitimately terrifying. I don't wish to spoil it, but suffice to say that little in the world is scarier than a digitized voice breaking one's calm, announcing one's quickly oncoming demise.
Overall, this album is a powerful, moving experience.

5 out of 5 stars

This cd is AWESOME March 14, 2005
1 out of 5 found this review helpful

Buy this Double cd, you elitist Progressive Metal fans, this will awe you. If you like Metal, you might dig Part 2 because of the "heavier" music.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic