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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 |
|---|
| 1. Age Of Shadows (incl. We Are Forever) |
| 2. Comatose |
| 3. Liquid Eternity |
| 4. Connect The Dots |
| 5. Beneath The Waves: Beneath The Waves / Face The Facts / But A Memory... / World Without Walls / Reality Bleeds |
| 6. Newborn Race: The Incentive / The Vision / The Procedure / Another Life / Newborn Race / The Conclusion |
| 7. Ride The Comet |
| 8. Web Of Lies |
| Disc: 2 |
| 1. The Fifth Extinction: Glimmer Of Hope / World Of Tomorrow Dreams / Collision Course / From The Ashes / Glimmer Of Hope (reprise) |
| 2. Waking Dreams |
| 3. The Truth Is In Here |
| 4. Unnatural Selection |
| 5. River Of Time |
| 6. E=MC_ |
| 7. The Sixth Extinction: Echoes on the Wind / Radioactive Grave / 2085 / To the Planet of Red / Spirit on the Wind / Complete the Circle |
Editorial Reviews
Arjen Lucassen has again assembled an all star supporting cast for what will become the true magnum opus by Ayreon, the rock opera 01011001 . It is the story of planet Y (which is the album title in binary computer code) and the struggle for emotional survival in an age of increased technological dependence.
Assisting in the storytelling are some of rock s major luminaries including Ty Tabor (King s X), Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Tomas Bodin (The Flower Kings),Derek Sherinian (Planet X), Ed Warby (Gorefest), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), and Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering).
Available as 2CD version, a Special Edition with bonus DVD and as a Ltd. Ed. 2-CD with bonus DVD version in high class DVD box packaging.
Assisting in the storytelling are some of rock s major luminaries including Ty Tabor (King s X), Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Tomas Bodin (The Flower Kings),Derek Sherinian (Planet X), Ed Warby (Gorefest), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), and Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering).
Available as 2CD version, a Special Edition with bonus DVD and as a Ltd. Ed. 2-CD with bonus DVD version in high class DVD box packaging.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
My first encounter with the music of Arjen Lucassen was his last release, THE HUMAN EQUATION. I picked that CD up solely because James LaBrie of Dream Theater was singing on it. I was immediately impressed with the depth of story, the virtuosity of musicians and the masterful way that Lucassen pulled so many top flight people together to make, what amounts to a prog-rock opera. It was one of the best purchases I made a few years ago. I guess the only complaint I had at the time was the growling on a few of the tracks...a particular musical style I've personally never really appreciated.
It was with great anticipation that I bought 01011001. I wasn't sure if it would be a continuation of the Human Equation story or something completely different. This time around, it's a brilliant and powerful science fiction epic of a grand scale. I understand the story is related to his previous album UNIVERSAL MIGRATOR, PT 1-2. (Looks like I have another CD to buy.)
I was blown away with this album from the first moment. The assembled musicians are perfectly cast, and the music is incredible! I was expecting a good album, but got a great one. This is the must-buy album of the year for any and all progressive rock fans.
I purchased the Special Edition box set with a DVD included. I have to say that the "Beneath The Waves" video is amazing and wonderful to watch, but much of the rest of the DVD is dross. There is a tedious video showing interviews with many of the singers and musicians, talking about how they met Arjen, or how Arjen emailed them, or how Arjen picked them up at the airport, or how great it is to work with Arjen.....I got really bored with it really quickly. Unless you are really into that kind of thing, I can easily recommend that you save the extra $10 or so, and just pick up the music.
But you must, must, must get the music...you won't be sorry!
It was with great anticipation that I bought 01011001. I wasn't sure if it would be a continuation of the Human Equation story or something completely different. This time around, it's a brilliant and powerful science fiction epic of a grand scale. I understand the story is related to his previous album UNIVERSAL MIGRATOR, PT 1-2. (Looks like I have another CD to buy.)
I was blown away with this album from the first moment. The assembled musicians are perfectly cast, and the music is incredible! I was expecting a good album, but got a great one. This is the must-buy album of the year for any and all progressive rock fans.
I purchased the Special Edition box set with a DVD included. I have to say that the "Beneath The Waves" video is amazing and wonderful to watch, but much of the rest of the DVD is dross. There is a tedious video showing interviews with many of the singers and musicians, talking about how they met Arjen, or how Arjen emailed them, or how Arjen picked them up at the airport, or how great it is to work with Arjen.....I got really bored with it really quickly. Unless you are really into that kind of thing, I can easily recommend that you save the extra $10 or so, and just pick up the music.
But you must, must, must get the music...you won't be sorry!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Arjen Lucassen, who by this point must be considered as one of the best concept album writers of all time, has managed to capture the best elements of "Into The Electric Castle" and "The Universal Migrator" with this stellar (literally) new release, "01011001". Using a vocal cast just as renowned as the one on "The Human Equation", this Ayreon album tells the story of a planet and a population close to the edge due to increasing reliance on technology and medicine.
Arjen skipped out on the usual introductory narration this time, and opens the album up with "The Age of Shadows", possibly the heaviest Ayreon opener yet. Then, the album takes a melancholy turn, reminiscent of the softer songs on fellow prog champions Porcupine Tree's newest album "Fear of a Blank Planet".
Those who missed the instrumental section on "The Human Equation" will be glad to see their return with "0101101". The production values are closer to "The Human Equation" than anything else, but the songs are written more in the style of "Electric Castle" and "Migrator", with longer vocal parts and long instrumentals. Thanks to the aid of many top-gun progressive musicians, Symphony X's Michael Romeo and ex-Dream Theater's Derek Sherinian among them, "0101101" should not be a disappointment to the progressive fans who were hooked with "Electric Castle" or "Migrator".
The vocal performances are strong as usual. That's to be expected, though, with the frontmen of acts like Blind Guardian, Pain of Salvation, and King's X on the roster. My only complaint is that there are so many vocalists that none get to steal the spotlight for long. Fan of the bands Arjen plucked from will hear just enough of their favorite vocalists to be satisfied, and no more.
Lyrically, the album takes a darker and more serious mood than ever before. Of course the usual cheese factor is present, though greatly diminished this time around. The album brings up several sociological and philosophical questions, though not without a certain pretense, asking what kind of society is really in the best interest of the human species. The album seems to want to comment on humanity's current faith in technology and medicine, scorning it in a way comparable to novels such as Huxley's "Brave New World". These kind of sentiments have always existed in Arjen's work, but here they take the spotlight.
I can not imagine "01011001" would disappoint any current Ayreon fan. It is a fresh release, different than previous ones yet with all the elements that made the older ones great. The number of highly memorable passages and good songs is much greater than the number not so memorable ones. Dare I say that this album is Arjen's masterpiece?
Arjen skipped out on the usual introductory narration this time, and opens the album up with "The Age of Shadows", possibly the heaviest Ayreon opener yet. Then, the album takes a melancholy turn, reminiscent of the softer songs on fellow prog champions Porcupine Tree's newest album "Fear of a Blank Planet".
Those who missed the instrumental section on "The Human Equation" will be glad to see their return with "0101101". The production values are closer to "The Human Equation" than anything else, but the songs are written more in the style of "Electric Castle" and "Migrator", with longer vocal parts and long instrumentals. Thanks to the aid of many top-gun progressive musicians, Symphony X's Michael Romeo and ex-Dream Theater's Derek Sherinian among them, "0101101" should not be a disappointment to the progressive fans who were hooked with "Electric Castle" or "Migrator".
The vocal performances are strong as usual. That's to be expected, though, with the frontmen of acts like Blind Guardian, Pain of Salvation, and King's X on the roster. My only complaint is that there are so many vocalists that none get to steal the spotlight for long. Fan of the bands Arjen plucked from will hear just enough of their favorite vocalists to be satisfied, and no more.
Lyrically, the album takes a darker and more serious mood than ever before. Of course the usual cheese factor is present, though greatly diminished this time around. The album brings up several sociological and philosophical questions, though not without a certain pretense, asking what kind of society is really in the best interest of the human species. The album seems to want to comment on humanity's current faith in technology and medicine, scorning it in a way comparable to novels such as Huxley's "Brave New World". These kind of sentiments have always existed in Arjen's work, but here they take the spotlight.
I can not imagine "01011001" would disappoint any current Ayreon fan. It is a fresh release, different than previous ones yet with all the elements that made the older ones great. The number of highly memorable passages and good songs is much greater than the number not so memorable ones. Dare I say that this album is Arjen's masterpiece?
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By ProgMonkey
Format:Audio CD
Firstly: do NOT hesitate to shell out the extra dough for this deluxe limited edition. It is VERY worth it, you get amazing packaging, a longer booklet, and it's just generally very cool. Enough of that, on to the album. In my opinion this is the greatest Ayreon album to date. The only possible way this album could have been better was if Russell Allen had parts on it. However, we do get an incredible solo by Michael Romeo. But Russell aside, you get Simone from Epica, Daniel from Pain of Salvation, Tom from Evergrey, Jorn Lande, and a slew of fantastic instrumentalists and other vocalists that'll blow your mind. This album goes straight to the top of my favorite concept albums list, second only to the mighty Scenes From A Memory, by Dream Theater. Every song on this album is great...not a single song gets skipped everytime I spin this album. And really, there's something for everyone here...something heavy, something lighter, something extremely melodic, something more "chuggy"...the album really runs the full spectrum of what great rock should be, and its no surprise when you consider Arjen's fantastic orchestration/arranging and the brilliant artists he brought together for this release. A must have for any fan of concept albums or progressive rock!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ayreon Needs to Do Something Different
As I understand it, up until James LaBrie performed on one Ayreon's albums, they were totally underground. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Craig Nelson Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Ayreon album!
Simply put, I rate this as the best of the Ayreon albums. All of the tracks are solid and the concept is a good book-end for the rest of the albums, incorporating themes and... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Reviewer Of Things I like
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy Five Star Album
I don't see how you can give this album anything less than 4 stars, and for me, it's an easy 5. I would argue that it's just as innovative as previous Ayreon albums, despite... Read more
Published on March 28, 2011 by JeremyG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Item
Great and safe transaction, took a while for me to get the item but its understandable since i live in south america.
Published on June 15, 2010 by R. Xavier
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ayreon - Average Offering From The Masters Of Sci Fi Progressive Metal
Once again Arjen Lucassen has put together Ayreon for another massive two disc science fiction concept album. Read more
Published on February 16, 2010 by Steven Sly
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Visionary Work
This is my first encounter with Ayreon and will state I am thoroughly impressed. Arjen Lucassen is an excellent front man with extraordinary creativity, he sure does know what... Read more
Published on February 4, 2010 by Nate
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review for vinyl format
This is a review for the vinyl format. The set is 3 LP's plus a poster. All 3 LP's are white/semi-clear and look beautiful. Read more
Published on January 15, 2010 by Librarian_of_Doom
3.0 out of 5 stars
Brother Dearest
My brother requested this album as a gift. He wasn't blown away by it, but says it growing on him.
Published on February 4, 2009 by Mason R.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Woo!
To be frank, I adore Ayreon in all it's forms, so this is just another thing I listen to, nearly non-stop.
Published on January 7, 2009 by Sara Kratky
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Collaboration between modern metal greats
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... Read more
Published on December 5, 2008 by Amanda
