Ayreon - The Source (Mascot Label Group)
And finally for the best album of 2017, the new epic adventure of Ayreon in "The Source"! Having somewhat left their main space-sci-fi story-line in the "Theory of Everything" album, instead presenting a more down to earth concept there, here the space epic element returns in full force. The story-line starts at the distant past in planet Alpha and acts, in essence, a prequel to the main Ayreon story so far. The cast comprises of ten influential individuals of the planet: the Historian (James LaBrie from Dream Theater), the President (Russen Allen from Symphony X & Adrenaline Mob), the Opposition Leader (Tommy Karevik from Kamelot & Seventh Wonder), the Chemist (Tommy Giles Rogers from Between the Buried and Me), the Counsellor (Simone Simons from Epica), the Prophet (Nils K Rue from Pagan's Mind), the Captain (Tobias Sammet from Edguy & Avantasia), the Astronomer (Hansi Kursch from Blind Guardian), the Diplomat (Michael Eriksen from Circus Maximus) , the Biologist (Floor Jansen from Nightwish) and their faithful android TH-1 (Mike Mills from Toehider), along with a cameo vocal appearance from Zaher Zorgati (Myrath) and guest solos from Paul Gilbert (Mr Big) and Guthrie Govan (ex-Asia).
The (double) album starts with "The Day that the World Breaks Down" a bombastic epic song introducing the main cast. "Everybody Dies" and "Run Apocalypse Run" are another two bombastic and heavy songs fro the first album, while "The Star of Sirrah" is a truly space opera epic and "All that was" is a renaissance folk hymn. In the second album, the protagonists leave to find a new planet after the old one is destroyed and find themselves in Planet Y where they adapt to living beneath the waves of the oceanic planet. Highlights from this album include the dynamic opener "Aquatic Race", the heavy/operatic "Deathcry of a race", the quietly solemn "The Source Will Flow" as well as the final trilogy of songs ("Journey to Forever", "The Human Compulsion", "March of the Machines") which pave the way back to the original story. A true masterpiece, in a continuous streak of excellent albums from Arjen Lucassen and without a doubt the best and highest recommended release of 2017.
100/100
Below are the lyric videos for "The Day that the World breaks down", "Everybody Dies", "Run Apocalypse Run" and the music video for "The Source Will Flow".
The (double) album starts with "The Day that the World Breaks Down" a bombastic epic song introducing the main cast. "Everybody Dies" and "Run Apocalypse Run" are another two bombastic and heavy songs fro the first album, while "The Star of Sirrah" is a truly space opera epic and "All that was" is a renaissance folk hymn. In the second album, the protagonists leave to find a new planet after the old one is destroyed and find themselves in Planet Y where they adapt to living beneath the waves of the oceanic planet. Highlights from this album include the dynamic opener "Aquatic Race", the heavy/operatic "Deathcry of a race", the quietly solemn "The Source Will Flow" as well as the final trilogy of songs ("Journey to Forever", "The Human Compulsion", "March of the Machines") which pave the way back to the original story. A true masterpiece, in a continuous streak of excellent albums from Arjen Lucassen and without a doubt the best and highest recommended release of 2017.
100/100
Below are the lyric videos for "The Day that the World breaks down", "Everybody Dies", "Run Apocalypse Run" and the music video for "The Source Will Flow".
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