Final Experiment (Spec) [Special Edition]

Ayreon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 14, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Special Edition
• Label: Inside Out U.S.
• ASIN: B0007M8I3M
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,504 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Progressive Metal

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Prologue 3:17

2. The Awareness 6:36

3. Eyes Of Time 5:06

4. The Banishment 11:08

5. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy 2:46

6. Sail Away To Avalon 4:02

7. Nature's Dance 2:28

8. Computer-Reign (Game Over) 3:25

9. Waracle 6:44

10. Listen To The Waves 4:59

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Dreamtime 4:19

2. Eyes Of Time 3:25

3. The Accusation 3:49

4. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy 2:50

5. Sail Away To Avalon 3:26

6. Nature's Dance 2:03

7. Waracle 5:16

8. Merlin's Will 3:29

9. The Charm Of The Seer 3:29

Editorial Reviews

Following up on the success of Ayreon’s, The Human Equation, and the re-releases of The Universal Migrator, Into The Electric Castle and Actual Fantasy, Inside Out Music is pleased to announce the first official US release of The Final Experiment, the third of the Ayreon releases from Arjen Anthony Lucassen, originally released in 1995. The new Special Edition includes a nine song "semi-acoustic" bonus CD featuring different guest vocalists.

Like all of the Ayreon titles, The Final Experiment is a concept-based excursion into the mind of a true musical genius. This time Lucassen celebrates the human imagination with his now trademark sound, a grandiose blend of progressive rock and power metal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ayreon's 10th Anniversary Debut Gets Remastered, March 15, 2005

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Final Experiment (Spec) (Audio CD)

The Final Experiment is Arjen Lucassen's debut release with his unique project, Ayreon, and this special edition is the reissue of a once-terribly overlooked first album. Despite the relatively unknown musicians on it, this record was by far my favourite Ayreon release. With each passing year, Arjen continued to put out great albums with some of the most important figures in rock and metal, but to me, The Final Experiment was unmatchable. However, in 2004, when Arjen released his latest album, The Human Equation, this masterpiece was surpassed, but still remains an all-time favourite, heads and shoulders above most other prog releases.

The sound quality and remixed parts on this reissue sound a lot better. Not that there's anything wrong with the original release, but on this CD, the dynamics are stronger and livelier. Peter Vink's bass and Ernst van Ee's drums are stunning, thanks to the crisp and sparse mix. The vocals are placed carefully over delicate song arrangements, allowing each instrument to come through.

The Final Experiment, as unusual as it was in 1995, is a concept album, which, in my opinion, must have been the reason why all the record labels turned Arjen down when he was looking for an outlet to release his music. In the booklet, Arjen has ironically printed the emails he got from the labels and record executives who refused to release this disc, claiming there was no market for this kind of music. Some of those people must be really ashamed now. Anyway, this is a concept record, about a single character named "Ayreon", and the whole story evolves around him (sort of like The Who's Tommy). The year is 2084 (exactly 100 years after George Orwell's 1984) and scientists have developed this program in order to save the world from its downfall. They manage to send signals back in time, which are received by a blind medieval minstrel, who has these visions from the future and takes on a mission to save mankind from its tragic fate. Folk elements are successfully used to portray the medieval times, whilst occasional electronics represent the future. Needless to say, there is a very clever storyline, with a strong lyrical message to deliver, and on top of all, fantastic musicianship, especially for a debut album.

The album is very diverse musically. At over 70 minutes, epic rock of bands like Queen and Rainbow, atmospheric sounds of Pink Floyd, folk stuff of Led Zeppelin, vocal harmonies of the Beatles, 70's prog of ELP and Yes are all blended in Arjen Lucassen's creative songwriting. In a way, Arjen is paying tribute to his heroes, while at the same time attempting to create something unique. The album starts with a spoken voice setting the tone of the concept, quickly giving way to an acoustic guitar-led progressive track featuring a magnificent keyboard solo that is right on the same musical path with ELP. More overlapping keyboard solos in the vein of Rick Wakeman are displayed on the following track, "Eyes of Time". Peter Vink's bass tone is simply astounding here -- a great improvement over the original version.

The 11-minute epic, "The Banishment", is one of the finest songs on this album. It melts folk music, symphonic rock and opaque acoustics into a progressive metal masterpiece. Robert Soeterboek's vocals are followed by brutal death vocals sung by Jan-Chris De Koeijer. Other songs such as "Sail Away to Avalon" and "Game Over" (with Ian Parry singing) are haunting with their catchy choruses and vocal harmonies. Besides playing all guitars, keys, lots of bass, Arjen also sings lead vocals on several songs, and he does a great job. However, my favourite singer on this album is Leon Goewie. "Merlin's Will" gives me goosebumps! What a voice. It leaves me breathless every time. Finally, almost all singers appear on the final track, "Ayreon's Fate", which is one of the most emotional songs ever. Once again, Leon Goewie proves to be a totally mindblowing vocalist on this one. Arjen Lucassen plays some great guitar solos through the album; "Waracle" is fantastic with some flute in the background, as is "The Awareness" with an erupting guitar solo..

There's a 37-minute bonus disc with great singers including Astrid van der Veen from Arjen's Ambeon project, Marcela Bovio and Irene Jansen from the godly album The Human Equation, and some others. Most of the music for these songs are played and recorded from scratch, therefore making it more interesting. The packaging is neat; the booklet is enhanced and has detailed song analysis from Arjen Lucassen, extra pictures, lyrics, etc. In short, two amazing CDs for the price of one. If you're a prog fan, you shouldn't miss this, i.e. one of the finest prog debuts ever.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Final Experiment: Progressive Rock meets Epic Metal., April 4, 2000

By 

Joe White (Layton, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Experiment (Audio CD)

Yep. Ayreon's the Final Experiment is those things...and more!

The Final Experiment is a concept album that tells the tale of a blind minstrel who is receiving visions of apocalyptic doom from the future. The music is epic, progressive and medieval in sound and style. Arjen Anthony Lucassen, the man behind Ayreon, uses a wide variety of vocalists and other musicians to tell this story. Whether it is the medieval and bombastic "Sail Away to Avalon", the quiet and introspective "Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy" or the powerful "Merlin's Will", the Final Experiment delivers on many levels. There is something for everyone on this cd -- especially for you keyboard lovers. If you like a variety of bands such as Savatage, Pink Floyd and Blind Guardian, you will probably love the Final Experiment.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, February 11, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Experiment (Audio CD)

Final Experiment is a kind of predecessor to "Into the Electric Castle". It is in a way a "light version" in the sense, that this is only one CD instead of two, and that here are not so many prominent artists playing aroud. Beside this, there are no differences, and no flaws. A concept album (the story is okay for me) with very complex and tasteful arrangements. All instruments and the vocals are excellent. Giant, epic, powerful, somethimes slightly gothic touched, interwoven in great diversity with much variety (trumpets etc.). But luckily for me there is never bad "metal" feeling, but it keeps with melodic (hard-) rock. In my feeling it is as catchy and easy flowing as a combination of Boston, Meat Loaf, Arena, Pendragon and Trans Siberian Orchestra. Endless guitar and keyboardlayers with dense, busy and tasteful drumming, and sometimes slow ballads. For lovers of tight, pulsing Rock who insist on getting tons of creative ideas and arrangements, I think, this one should be pure joy to listen to! If you like this, you should surely get the extraordinary "Into the Electric Castle" also. But anyway, you should not ignore Final Experimant. For me, Final Experiment is the prelude to Electric Castle, delivering nearly the same fun and joy. So I suggest, you check it out, perhaps it works for you also.