┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Ayreon - Flight Of The Migrator + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Feb-10-2006 Encoder......LAME 3.90 Modified ║ │ │║ Genre........Hard Rock Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2000 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......rainbow Songs........09 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.ayreon.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Ayreon Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Flight Of The Migrator Label : Transmission ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Hm, Arjen Lucassen still defies all odds of the ║ │ │║ music-biz. After almost plunging his ║ │ │║ record-company into despair with "Into The ║ │ │║ Electric Castle" getting released as a ║ │ │║ double-CD, but still reaching the Top 40 of the ║ │ │║ Dutch charts, he just continues, where he had ║ │ │║ left off, because "Universal Migrator" also is a ║ │ │║ double-album, but released independently (if at ║ │ │║ the same time). ║ │ │║ And again the former VENGEANCE-guitarist managed ║ │ │║ to secure the services... STOP! Didn't I hear ║ │ │║ this before? Strange, I know this beginning from ║ │ │║ somewhere... ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Anyway, the names on this album are even bigger, ║ │ │║ because you won't have to waste many words about ║ │ │║ the likes of Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Ralf ║ │ │║ Scheepers (Ex-TYRAN PACE, -GAMMA RAY, PRIMAL ║ │ │║ FEAR), Andi Deris (Ex-PINK CREAM 69, HELLOWEEN), ║ │ │║ Bruce Dickinson (guess, where!), Fabio Lione ║ │ │║ (RHAPSODY), Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS) or Ian ║ │ │║ Parry (ELEGY), eh? ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Musically "Flight Of The Migrator" shows the ║ │ │║ metallic side of the double-album, standing ║ │ │║ between Progressive Rock and technically ║ │ │║ high-standing Metal (sometimes reaching ║ │ │║ surprising grades of heaviness) and again ║ │ │║ convincing, even though not all songs catch fire ║ │ │║ as quickly. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Even though it again would be unfair to point ║ │ │║ out certain songs, I still have to mention the ║ │ │║ ten-minute-plus opus "Into The Black Hole", ║ │ │║ because Bruce Dickinson's vocals fit this track ║ │ │║ as if it had been specifically written for him! ║ │ │║ Atmosphere, heaviness, catchiness and demand, ║ │ │║ everything works out here! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ So who is not sure yet, if he should take the ║ │ │║ first or the second part, here's the solution: ║ │ │║ Take both! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The story begins in the 22nd century. The final ║ │ │║ devastating war of 2084 that was foretold on The ║ │ │║ Final Experiment album, has indeed come to pass ║ │ │║ and has destroyed all life on Earth, making it ║ │ │║ completely uninhabitable. The only survivors of ║ │ │║ the war were the colonists on the planet Mars, ║ │ │║ who watched the destruction of their homeworld ║ │ │║ from afar. The few descendents of those ║ │ │║ colonists are now all that is left of the human ║ │ │║ race. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ To combat the dreariness of life on Mars, the ║ │ │║ Mars colonists have constructed a fantastic ║ │ │║ machine called The Dream Sequencer. This machine ║ │ │║ creates a form of hypnosis which allows the ║ │ │║ colonists to return to their childhood and even ║ │ │║ to their former lives. Both albums tell the ║ │ │║ story of what one Mars colonist encounters while ║ │ │║ piloting The Dream Sequencer. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The CD Flight Of The Migrator has a much more ║ │ │║ aggressive, heavy progressive feel. This CD ║ │ │║ begins at the dawn of time, just before the Big ║ │ │║ Bang in a time where there is nothing but chaos. ║ │ │║ When the Big Bang occurs, one soul is created ║ │ │║ which is called The Universal Migrator. The ║ │ │║ Universal Migrator then begins to divide into ║ │ │║ many souls, each of which begins to search for ║ │ │║ planets to inhabit. The souls of the Universal ║ │ │║ Migrator breathe life into each planet, ║ │ │║ beginning each civilization across the galaxies. ║ │ │║ The Mars colonist follows one particular soul of ║ │ │║ the Universal Migrator on its long journey to ║ │ │║ Earth. Along the way, this soul encounters ║ │ │║ fantastic astronomical phenomena such as ║ │ │║ quasars, pulsars, supernovas, black holes and ║ │ │║ wormholes. Finally the dream sequencer will wake ║ │ │║ the colonist, if it canà ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ⌐ Arjen Lucassen ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Wherever there's yin there has to be yang, thus ║ │ │║ also in the mind of Arjen "Anthony" Lucassen. ║ │ │║ After delivering the softer, more spacey The ║ │ │║ Dream Sequencer, Arjen has set his teeth into ║ │ │║ producing the harder etched, more rock oriented ║ │ │║ Flight Of The Migrator. The album opens with ║ │ │║ "Chaos" which directly focuses on the different ║ │ │║ style of drumming. This time Ed Warby even gets ║ │ │║ the opportunity to include a small drum solo and ║ │ │║ lots of fills whilst Arjen plays the guitar at ║ │ │║ an incredible speed and Erik Norlander ║ │ │║ introduces some heavy synth sprints. Of all the ║ │ │║ wonderful musicians and singers Arjen has had ║ │ │║ the pleasure to work with, he was most impressed ║ │ │║ by the input of Symphony X singer Russel Allen. ║ │ │║ Backed by his bandmate Michael Romeo in the ║ │ │║ guitar solo department, Russel's voice gets very ║ │ │║ close to that admirable strength of Ronnie James ║ │ │║ Dio in "Dawn Of A Million Souls." On top of an ║ │ │║ orchestral arrangement you'll also hear an ║ │ │║ ominous choir and some wonderful dark Hammond ║ │ │║ organ. It would have been easier to ask Glenn ║ │ │║ Hughes (who also guests on the forthcoming Erik ║ │ │║ Norlander solo album), but then again, as Glenn ║ │ │║ is to be heard all over the place, it certainly ║ │ │║ is a pleasant surprise to hear Russel's voice ║ │ │║ find its way amidst the wood of violins. One of ║ │ │║ those violins opens "Journey On The Waves Of ║ │ │║ Time" before Erik's synths once again start a ║ │ │║ very bombastic change within the song's ║ │ │║ structure, steering the song into a ║ │ │║ Rhapsody/Stratovarius direction but sung by ║ │ │║ Primal Fear frontman Ralf Scheepers. "I tend to ║ │ │║ use singers in a different style than the one ║ │ │║ he's known for," Arjen used to say. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ "To The Quasar" consists of two parts, the first ║ │ │║ of which, "The Taurus Pulsar," opens in a ║ │ │║ fragile way with strumming acoustic guitars, ║ │ │║ music-box keyboards, and the floating voice of ║ │ │║ Andi Deris. The second part "Quasar 3c273" kicks ║ │ │║ off with some grungy guitars getting greasier ║ │ │║ and heavier all the time, backed by Ed Warby ║ │ │║ beating his drums as if his entire life depends ║ │ │║ on it. Guitar and synth do battle in a war of ║ │ │║ their own, resulting in musical fireworks! The ║ │ │║ track the entire music world will be looking out ║ │ │║ for certainly has to be "Into The Black Hole" ║ │ │║ sung by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson. ║ │ │║ Bruce came over to Arjen's house, did three ║ │ │║ takes of the song, and went on to relax for the ║ │ │║ rest of the day. Whilst Dickinson is rather ║ │ │║ restricted within Iron Maiden he is given every ║ │ │║ opportunity within this song. Having read the ║ │ │║ lyrics, Bruce really got into his role even ║ │ │║ using gesticulations whilst recording in order ║ │ │║ to give it an even more theatrical approach. The ║ │ │║ arrangement also gives room to the many sounds ║ │ │║ of Bruce's voice whilst Lana Lane can be heard ║ │ │║ like a siren in the background. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The way some Gilmour-like guitar is integrated ║ │ │║ in a steaming rock 'n' roll song like "Through ║ │ │║ The Wormhole" once again illustrates the ║ │ │║ Lucassen genius. Weird how the rhythm of this ║ │ │║ uptempo song makes me think of the classic "Baby ║ │ │║ Please Don't Go" with kind of a speedy Stray ║ │ │║ Cats tempo in a techno setting. Hammond galore ║ │ │║ in "Out Of The White Hole" which together with ║ │ │║ the vibrato in Timo Kotipelto's voice sounds ║ │ │║ very much like vintage Deep Purple combined with ║ │ │║ contemporary heavy metal. Way in the background ║ │ │║ of the intro to "To The Solar System" I can hear ║ │ │║ the identical guitar sound which has made Brian ║ │ │║ May immortal, whilst from a percussive view ║ │ │║ things sound very technical and repetitive. At ║ │ │║ the end of the song, the section that is called ║ │ │║ "System Alert" ends in voices and noise. This is ║ │ │║ before the final song of this project is ║ │ │║ introduced. "Sleeper Awake" starts very dark ║ │ │║ with somber voices and military drums before the ║ │ │║ feel of the song is switched into a direction ║ │ │║ which reminds me of Montrose's "Jump On It" ║ │ │║ combined with the rhythm from The Sweet's ║ │ │║ "Ballroom Blitz." Add to this the voice of Ian ║ │ │║ Parry and lots of Hammond culminating in some ║ │ │║ ace solos courtesy of Keiko Kumagai from Ars ║ │ │║ Nova fame and you know this one's a killer ║ │ │║ (too!). Kettledrums put a final statement to ║ │ │║ this superb project that certainly has left ║ │ │║ enough room to continue the story. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In a time when people are more and more into ║ │ │║ heavy guitars I'm almost convinced that in a ║ │ │║ first instance more copies of Flight Of The ║ │ │║ Migrator will be sold. After all it also has ║ │ │║ Bruce Dickinson plus members from Symphony X, ║ │ │║ Rhapsody, and Stratovarius helping out. However, ║ │ │║ once people have dissected this album they will ║ │ │║ certainly be intrigued for more and that's where ║ │ │║ The Dream Sequencer steps in because, after all, ║ │ │║ it'll be the right amount of yin to mix with the ║ │ │║ above dose of yang ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ More about Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight Of ║ │ │║ The Migrator: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Track Listing: Choas (5:10) / Dawn Of Million ║ │ │║ Souls (7:45) / Journey On The Waves Of Time ║ │ │║ (5:47) / To The Quasar (8:42) a) The Taurus ║ │ │║ Pulsar b) Quasar 3C273 / Into The Black Hole ║ │ │║ (10:25) a) The Eye Of The Universe b) Halo Of ║ │ │║ Darkness c) The Final Hour / Through The ║ │ │║ Wormhole (6:05) / Out Of The White Hole (7:11) ║ │ │║ a) M31 b) Planet Y c) The Search Continues / To ║ │ │║ The Solar System (6:11) a) Planet Of Blue b) ║ │ │║ System Alert / The New Migrator (8:15) a) ║ │ │║ Metamorphosis b) Sleeper Awake ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Musicians: ║ │ │║ Arjen Lucassen - electric and acoustic guitars, ║ │ │║ bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, ║ │ │║ Mellotron and additional keyboards ║ │ │║ Erik Norlander - analogue synthesizers, piano, ║ │ │║ vocoder, Hammond and additional keyboards ║ │ │║ Ed Warby (Gorefest, ex-Elegy) - drums ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Guitar solos: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Arjen Lucassen on 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 ║ │ │║ Michael Romeo (Symphony X) on 2 ║ │ │║ Oscar Holleman 2nd solo on 4 ║ │ │║ Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery) on 6 ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Keyboard solos : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Erik Norlander (Rocket Scientists, Lana Lane) on ║ │ │║ 1, 3 (Hammond solo), 4, 5, 7 ║ │ │║ Rene Merkelbach last solo on 4 ║ │ │║ Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon) 2nd synth solo on ║ │ │║ 5 ║ │ │║ Gary Wehrkamp on 6 ║ │ │║ Keiko Kumagai (Ars Nova) on 9 (+ Hammond solo) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Singers: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Russel Allen (Symphony X) on 2 ║ │ │║ Ralf Scheepers (ex-Gamma Ray, Primal Fear) on 3 ║ │ │║ Andi Deris (Helloween) on 4 ║ │ │║ Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) on 5 ║ │ │║ Fabio Leone (Rhapsody) on 7 ║ │ │║ Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) on 7 ║ │ │║ Robert Soeterboek (Ayreon) on 8 ║ │ │║ Ian Parry (Vengeance, Elegy) on 9 ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Backing vocals: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Damion Wilson on 2 ║ │ │║ Lana Lane on 4, 5, 6, 9 and narration on 1 ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Contact: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Website: www.ayreon.com ║ │ │║ Note: will open new browser window ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Discography ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The Final Experiment (1995) ║ │ │║ Actual Fantasy (1996) ║ │ │║ Into The Electric Castle (1998) ║ │ │║ The Univeral Migrator Part 1: The Dream ║ │ │║ Sequencer (2000) ║ │ │║ The Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight Of The ║ │ │║ Migrator (2000) ║ │ │║ Ayreonnauts Only ║ │ │║ Fate Of A Dreamer (2001) (Ambeon) ║ │ │║ Space Metal (2002) (Star One) ║ │ │║ Live On Earth (2003) (Star One) ║ │ │║ The Human Equation (2004) ║ │ │║ Actual Fantasy Revisited (2004) ║ │ │║ The Final Experiment - Special Edition (2005) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Chaos [05:11] │ │ 02 - Dawn Of A Million Souls [07:45] │ │ 03 - Journey On The Waves Of Time [05:48] │ │ 04 - To The Quasar [08:43] │ │ 05 - Into The Black Hole [10:25] │ │ 06 - Through The Wormhole [06:05] │ │ 07 - Out Of The White Hole [07:11] │ │ 08 - To The Solar System [06:12] │ │ 09 - The New Migrator [08:15] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [65:35 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘