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| 01011001 | 
 enlarge | Artist: Ayreon
Label: Inside Out Music
Category: Music
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $14.42
You Save: $5.56 (28%)
New (35) Used (7) from $11.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 15066
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 79682
UPC: 693723796826
EAN: 0693723796826
ASIN: B000YKOY1W
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 21-23 of 23 | | « PREV | | |
 More of the same - why not more innovation? September 24, 2008
I fell in love with the first Ayreon album I bought, Electric Castle. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before, truly fresh and inspiring. I was an instant fan, and have bought every album Arjen has done since then, but after the 3rd album purchase I've become increasingly disappointed. The production quality is nothing less than stellar on each, but every album sounds the same as the two or three before it. Obviously there are a few fresh tracks on every album, but overall this album is more of the same.
I'd take an 8 track album with truly unique and fresh music over a 20 track epic regurgitation any day!
Arjen, in all of his genius, has collaborated with more cutting-edge prog musicians than anybody on the planet, and yet he doesn't let them really influence the music other than vocally. Why not let the artists contribute more of their musical personalities to the compositions, tone, and instrumentation as well? Seems like a lost opportunity.
I was really looking forward to this album, hoping for something fresh. Ah well, if you liked all the former albums and want more of the same, this album certainly won't disappoint you. I prefer innovation from my favorite bands. Maybe next time. I can't wait for the new Frost album!
Better than the clips November 16, 2008
Wow. If my first exposure to this album had been the clips only, I never would have gotten it. 30 seconds of each song is very misleading.
This is a great addition to Ayreon's work. It is not ground-breaking or a stand out like "Human Equation" was, but it holds it's own nicely. No other band produces music like Ayreon. This is not an album that will convert new fans, but for those that already enjoy Ayreon's work. The music and concepts are nicely layered and the story is more grounded with everyday reality than sci-fi, which ultimately makes it more relatable and interesting for people following Ayreon.
And for anyone interested, Ayreon is RIAA-free.
 An Amazing Collaboration between modern metal greats December 5, 2008
Ayreon is a project by Dutch composer Arjen Anthony Luscassen (his stage name is also Ayreon) that combines traditional metal instruments with a wide range of folk and symphonic instruments that brings together talented metal musicians from all over Europe. Ayreon's music can best be described as "metal opera." Each album tells a definitive, complex story, and features various guest singers from other bands as "characters" on each album. Many of these characters reappear on other albums and some of the plots intertwine between CDs.
I was particularly drawn to 01011001 because it featured the vocal talents of Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (After Forever), Magali Luyten (Beautiful Sin, Virus IV), and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-Gathering, Aqua di Annique). As a female-fronted metal junkie, I was eager to see what a collaboration between all of these talented singers would sound like.
I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was blown away by the sweeping, epic nature of this CD, the amazing dynamics between all of the singers (male and female), and the phenomenal quality of the music. Ayreon easily fuses together a wide range of music instruments with an intelligent, thought provoking plot that pulls the listener in. It can be a little confusing if you haven't listened to any of Ayreon's music before because the lyrics reference previous albums, but the overall plot still makes sense if you haven't heard them.
I honestly don't know what's better on this album: the music or the singing. Both items are so seamlessly integrated that they feel like they are inseparable. I was particularly impressed by "Comatose" and "Web of Lies." Both songs are sung conversations between characters. Not only do they sound like conversations, but they make beautiful songs that force the listener to think about questions that deal with the human condition, such as the importance of emotions and the people who use technology (specifically, internet dating services) to find love.
I also really enjoyed "Ride the Comet" because it married Floor Jansen's and Magali Lutyen's voices. They harmonize so well -I really hope to hear more collaborations from these two talented singers on later Ayreon albums.
The only downfall to this album is that it can be a little difficult to listen to. I mean, it's kind of hard to jam out to it while I'm driving or working out because the songs do not have traditional, more commercial structures (general lack of choruses, specific verses, etc.). The content is very heavy, so it's hard to listen to often, but when I'm in the right mood the music is perfect.
Also, I had to add that I think Ayreon is considerably better than contemporary metal opera band Avantasia, which has a similar approach (and even uses some of the same singers). While Avantasia's music tends to sound more like noise, Ayreon succeeds in creating a truly complex metal opera worthy of any stage.
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