Ayreon Universe

Wow! I don’t even know where to begin. I always find it a challenge to adequately review a release of this magnitude. Very seldom, though, do I struggle to know where to begin. Universe ultimately encompasses everything Ayreon, back to 1995’s The Final Experiment and including 2017’s The Source (along with Star One for that matter). This is, essentially, what it says it is – a “best of Ayreon” live rock show, replete with all the special effects, scintillating lighting, multi-camera angles and intense performances. There is no concept this time around (imagine that) other than the concept of Ayreon itself – a multi-vocalist, multi-instrumentalist collaboration breathing live life into the studio phenomenon that has been engineered by Arjen Lucassen for more than two decades. But while this performance has its roots deeply planted in the Ayreon universe, it was actually the 2015 live performance of The Human Equation (The Theater Equation) (and subsequent 2016 release of the same) which spawned this current show into reality. Not only did the fan support for that performance surprise the band, but it also inspired Arjen and company to feed that “itch” to make it happen again – only on a larger scale! I will not regurgitate the cast of players here since the pre-release press has that covered. Suffice it to say, the singers represent all eras of the band history, and the songs are mostly well-distributed across the back catalog. Note, there are, however, only two songs from The Source, so this is not a live album in support of the newest release. Likewise, there are only two songs from The Human Equation here, most likely because those songs were featured on The Theater Equation.But with 8 full-length studio albums in tow, how do you even begin to pick a set list … let alone select musicians from the plethora of participants over the past 2 decades who are to participate in such a massive performance? And then when those lists have been narrowed down, you have to find the singers who could actually perform on the 3 nights in questions. Fortunately, Arjen and his musical production manager Joost van den Broek started two years in advance, both in preparing the musicians and the production. The result is an absolutely fantastic “debut” live recording that not only sounds phenomenal, but surpasses The Theater Equation in terms of visual quality and musical execution. This has been released in 2CD audio, 3LP vinyl, 2DVD and Blu-ray video formats. The deluxe version earbook contains the 2 audio CDs, the 2DVDs and the Blu-ray, plus bios of all of the participants (written by Arjen himself) and lots of extra photos.The PerformanceIt is nothing short of phenomenal. First off, Ayreon is really now a band, fully capable of a highly cohesive and engaging live performance. This was established with The Theater Equation, and most of those musicians have returned here (minus the Epic Rock Choir) to solidify, and expand upon, that foundation. Warby anchors with the drums, but is now augmented by percussionist Rob Snijders (Gentle Storm/Ayreon - The Dream Sequencer), and Johan van Stratum rounds out the rhythm section on bass. The dual guitars of Coenen and Duijsens have a much more crushing presence as they rip through these 28 songs. Van den Broek is actually performing on keyboards this time around because Arjen wanted the best, and his wall of keyboard diversity is a center point of the Ayreon sound. The trio of Mathot (violin), Peterse (cello) and Goesens (winds) returns to enliven the music and add their dynamic virtuosity to the mix. Marcela Bovio, Irene Jansen and newbie Lisette van den Burg provide back-up vocals - essentially 3 "lead-quality" vocalists. Integrate this group with these fantastic "guest" vocalists and you have one of the most striking collections of musical performers ever assembled on one stage.Forget debating the song selection. Fans could argue on what truly represents the “best of” Ayreon for as long as the Forever exist. The set list represents what Arjen and Joost felt would be the songs with the biggest dynamic impact on stage, and in that regard I think they selected well. They chose songs with a wide dynamic range, since that is what this band is all about. So you have these intimate moments, “Valley of the Queens,” “Comatose” and “And The Druids Turned To Stone,” juxtaposed with epic songs like “The Theory Of Everything,” “Star of Sirrah” (amazing guitar solo by Coenen) and “The Castle Hall.” And everything in between with the folksier songs like “River Of Time” and “Loser.” While some songs retain the original singers, many songs have been rearranged slightly to accommodate different singers. For instance, it is cool to hear Floor Jansen (Nightwish) sing “Merlin’s Will” … or to hear Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) sing Dickenson’s song “Into The Black Hole.” Mike Mills functions as the narrator (some humorous moments here) in addition to singing some of his material (“Loser” and “Everybody Dies”). The result of all of this is a nicely refreshing, yet familiar, vibe and sound to these tunes. Even Ed Warby gets a vocal part on “Love,” so that is a nice nugget to discover. The biggest vocal surprise to me is Maggy Luyten (who enjoyed a relatively minor role on 0101). She plays a much greater role on this performance, even going up against the unflappable Damian Wilson on Star One’s “Intergalactic Space Crusaders.” Her Janis Joplin-soaked voice provides nice contrast to the other more operatic lady singers in the ensemble. And speaking of Star One, bassist Peter Vink makes his presence known once again on the same track.It is great to have the lesser-known (but equally talented) Ed Reekers, Robert Soeterboek and Jonas Renkse intertwined alongside giants (and Ayreon staples) like Hansi Kursch, Marco Hietala, Tommy Karevik and Damian Wilson. Of the newer to Ayreon singers, the powerful John Jaycee Cuijpers is spectacular - he sounds like a Dutch version of Ronnie James Dio! Anneke and Floor return with vital performances as well, perhaps their trio version (with Marcela) of "Valley Of The Queens" tops them all. Overall, though, there are just too many remarkable moments to encapsulate in one review.The Blu-ray/DVDsAs much as Ayreon has always been about the aural experience, I would have to say that this time around the videos steal the show. The Blu-ray contains the entire performance (pick from 2.0 PCM stereo or DTS-MA 5.1 surround), plus the near 90 minute documentary and the auditions. The DVDs split things up with the performance on DVD1 (DD 5.1 or 2.0) and the bonus features on DVD2 (DD 2.0). One of the criticisms/critiques of The Theater Equation was the video quality. The performances were fantastic, but there was a lack of clarity to the video, with some complaining about poorly focused shots and limited camera angles. It was obvious that Arjen had some budget constraints with that release – still testing the “live” waters, so to speak. Apparently the budget was unfettered for Universe – the video quality is spectacular and the images more steady, less evasive and more expansive. For instance, we have a much better perspective on drummer Ed Warby this time around. I also notice there is no audio/video lag this time. The lighting and effects are also much more impressive. It is obvious that a lot of time and prep went into the artistic images and videos – displayed on a huge 3-story screen – which accompany the music. I love how the singers names are introduced on the screen when they first appear, and how the original album covers are featured throughout as well.The sound quality in surround is really, really good and may even surpass the vinyl recording. During “The Two Gates” (on the video only) Irene Jansen introduces the band, which is totally cool. And, not only does Arjen make a cameo appearance on guitar this time, he gives a “speech” and discusses inspirations and thoughts on the performance and what went on behind the scenes to make it all come to fruition. Again his speech is only on the video portion and not the audio discs. There is less emphasis on the uniforms and costumes – each player/singer given their own choice on what to wear – so the whole thing has more of a laid-back rock show feel rather than a theatrical vibe (The Theater Equation).I have always loved the Arjen documentaries which have accompanied his releases throughout the years because I love hearing about the “why” and “how.” This one is no exception. Hosted by Arjen and Joost, this nearly 90 minute feature sequences the events that led up to the final performances. The biggest takeaway from my viewpoint: every artist involved was absolutely thrilled to be a part of this experience and in every way put forth their best performance. You might be surprised to know that the “band” practiced well over a year in advance. There is plenty of great humor as always in these segments.The CDs/VinylThe 3 LPs are pressed in gold (limited to 500) and black (180gm), and they come housed in a beautiful (gold-embossed cover) triple-gatefold layout with 6 sides of music. The narrations (Mills) have been included, but Irene Jansen’s band intro during “The Two Gates” and Arjen’s “speech” have been excluded from the audio recordings (both CDs and vinyl) due to obvious space restraints. The vinyl has a nice warm sound, not nearly as brilliant as the 5.1 BD mix, but the sound surface is very clean and the volume can be boosted to high levels without much distortion. Likewise, these discs sound good at low volume. I have very little surface noise with my set (gold). Only one out of the 3 of my inner sleeves was lined with anti-scratch/anti-static, but this is minor indeed. I do like that the vinyl packaging differs from the earbook in that there are mostly pictures of the band members on the inside of the jackets and limited credits. I don’t think the CDs sound overly compressed, but they are for me the least favorite of the different media formats in terms of sound. The CD booklet contains the same pictures/credits as the vinyl but in slightly different layout. Finally, there are no lyrics included with any of the formats, including the earbook (see below).The EarbookMany bands are releasing this kind of product these days, but Arjen and Steven Wilson have been doing it the longest and doing it the best (in my opinion) within the prog arena. This one is a 48-page hardbound book with a beautiful cover, but the gold lettering here is flat in contrast to the embossed/raised gold lettering on the vinyl cover. Also, the vinyl cover texture is glossy while the book is somewhat matte. There are 10 double-page, full width stage shots from different songs, and then the “in-between” pages feature every artist with smaller photos and commentary by Arjen. I like how this is presented in chronological order in synchrony with the set list, so the book is a great companion to watching the show (or just listening to the audio discs). In addition to the credits, there are 6 pages included with all the “back-stage” shots of the performers. My only complaint about the book is the disc storage compartments, which are the slip-in style which over time can tear more easily and which present some puckering of the linings on the insides of the covers. It’s a minor criticism, but I prefer the thicker covers with circle “cut-outs” with a center mount to hold the disc in place like Inside Out and other labels use. I believe the earbook is only available from the EU and is limited to 1500 copies.Overall, Universe is a once in a lifetime experience for Ayreon fans. Whether or not you experienced the original live show, this recording should be a “must have” item in any format. I must say, though, that I am left with the impression from all of the participants involved that Ayreon live, rather than a mere phenomenon, is now an entity likely to spawn further live performances. Fans can only hope, especially here in North America, that Ayreon live will grow and metastasize.

Every Ayreon dvd I have seen is a remarkable work of making theatrical storytelling infused with an excellent sound track. To call it a rock opera is just too simplistic for the creativity involved to make it truly unique. I also have Electric Castle Live and with both of these, they are excellent. Universe is more of a best of Ayreon that cover some new and old works. The musicians and singers are phenomenal and have traveled across the globe to perform with Arjen Lucassen. The style of the performance is remarkable and is always spot on to what the lyrics are portraying. Pick it up and watch it! You won’t regret this. I promise! 🤘

I've never been a big Ayreon fan: despite featuring performers I love, the tone always seemed a bit too serious for the amount of on-the-nose lyrics. Live, it's a lot easier to take that all in stride considering how much unadulterated fun everyone is having; it's a joy, and I urge you to check this out even if it hasn't been your jam in the past.My only criticisms are that it takes the production people more songs than usual to get everyone's vocal levels completely dialed in (NINE songs, imo, instead of the usual 4-5), which hurts the introductory efforts of quite a few of the roster and doesn't do anyone any favors, especially audiences unfamiliar with the material. The set list is long enough that 2/3rds is unaffected though! Secondly, that there's no pop-up menu on the Blu-Ray, but the top-menu can get you to the track-list.The 5.1 soundtrack is competent as far as these things go, although nothing special, but running either of the soundtracks through Atmos or DTSX can give you more control over the vocals for the beginning of the concert.

I am always on the lookout for great music of all genres on Blu Ray. I had heard of Ayreon before, but never listened to any of their music. I read some reviews and decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did. I will not get into specifics of the concert. Suffice it to say, these are incredible musicians playing incredible music. I really enjoy the mix of male/female vocalists and it was a pleasant surprise to hear something other than a lead singer doing all the vocals. So if you grew up on 70's prog rock, you will certainly enjoy this show. 1 star removed for lyrics. Not my particular cup of tea, but nothing to diminish the quality of the performance.

AT LAST ! AN EXCELENT CONCERT ! I bought THE HUMAN EQUATION... and boy : did it suck ! terrible melodies , abound . it totally lacked the talent that I knew the band was capable of. though the ONLY cd of theirs I bought was INTO THE ELECTRIC CASTLE : it DROPPED MY JAW ! so I took a chance on their earlier efforts. I was VERY pleased with ALL the cuts on this disc. though they played 1 or 2 cuts from their entire catalog they played 4 from ELECTRIC CASTLE. I had forgot how GOOD that cd was. and THIS WAS BETTER !

Incredible video both in filming and sound.. While the Theatre Equation was excellent more money was spent on this production. A very well balance of songs throughout the history of Ayreon.. It was great to see Edward Reekers from Kayak appear on several tracks. My only down on the video was not including Pain...but it was very well covered on The Theate Equation. This is at the top of my list for performance of the year. Order your copy today before supplies run out. You will not regret it.

This DVD set is absolutely fantastic and well produce. The lineup of talent is amazing. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there live.

I've been a big fan of Arjen Lucassen ever since I bought Ayreon: Into the the Electric Castle - A Space Opera. I have the entre Ayreon Series and some of his Star One albums, all of it just great music. I love all of it and go on listening binges, sometimes for six or seven hours at a time! I like his way of cycling through different vocalists and instrumentalists as he goes through his different pieces of work.

Until this release, Ayreon has been a studio-only project of Dutch mastermind Arjen Lucassen, for some 20-odd years. What we have here is a record of 3 very special one-off concerts in Tilburg, and ignoring the Theatre Equation release, the first performance of a selection of Ayreon tracks, here selected from throughout the Ayreon catalogue.The care and artistry put into the whole production and release is evident. One of the great achievements is for the cast of players and singers to slot into their roles. You might be concerned that the absence of some of the many original metal and prog luminaries who have contributed to Ayreon's albums would detract from the live performance. But you needn't worry, whilst the cast is predominantly the Dutch and continental contributors, the whole performance is stunning.Highlights for me are atmospheric "The Druids Turn to Stone", the delicately beautiful "Valley of the Queens", and the bombastic "Abbey of Synn" and "Dawn of a Million Souls". For those uninitiated to Ayreon, think prog-metal space opera, with, yes, cheesy lyrics and concept, bonkers but somehow it works due to the conviction and strength of the music.To be honest I wasn't taken with the overly wordy "Theory of Everything" release, but Universe has reignited my interest and i'll be going in search of the first Star One album and the latest "The Source" to complete my collection.Buy it, you won't regret it, as the chances of catching another Ayreon gig are remote, given Arjen's self-confessed stage fright, and the sheer immensity of collecting together so many talented musicians to faithfully deliver. Glad I forked out a couple of extra quid for the Blu-Ray version.

Superb live show. A concert of epic proportions involving 16 renowned European rock singers, an eight-piece band and some extraordinary graphics projected on to a huge rear-of-stage screen. Held over three nights in Tilburg in the Netherlands in 2017 and attended by – and this is the point of this review – more than 9,000 fans from FIFTY FOUR countries. The music, and the clear love of the fans for the man himself, transcended borders and boundaries – and wouldn’t it be incredible, in this fractured, divisive world if real people’s need to care for other real people could transcend our leaders’ need to keep us divided!

If you like good solid progressive rock then this is a worth while experience.The quality of performance by the eclectic range of artists is outstanding.Visually entertaining though not the most stunning of presentations.The music makes up for that in bounds.

This DVD of the 2017 Ayreon concert in the Netherlands is absolutely superb. It features 28 brilliant tracks which would appeal to a very wide range of rock fans. Great musicianship and singing presented in a theatrical setting is great entertainment. The second (behind the scenes) disc is also very good.

Brilliant show. Fantastic music performed by some of the best singers and musicians on the planet.