Ayreon - The Theory of Everything - Album Review 

Anyone who can make a watchable Ayreon review that is still under 20 minutes without too much rambling and lack of cohesion is a master reviewer.

I adored every minute of it. It was the first Aryeon album I ever heard, and as an introduction to Arjen's earlier work with the project, it does a fantastic job.

This sounds like the same manic glee with which I describe Ayreon albums to people. Seems it's truly a 'love it or hate it' project. And I love it.

The splitting of the album to 42 tracks was obviously done intentionally, as a reference to the "Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything" from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the answer to this question was 42). Can't be stressed enough how epic that is.

Great review! I am getting to know Ayreon and watching this review is making me more interested! Thanks!

I really liked your insight, was really nice to hear the thoughts on it before I listened to it! Thanks!

Arjen, sorry for taking the spot of SilensCursor but I just want to thanks you for everything. I still hear all your previous album tracks while I am driving to work, but my favourite is always "Loser". Thanks, and thanks again!

Can't wait for your review of The Source when it comes out!

Advice to buyers, get this album on CD, not digital. The only consistent negative criticism you'll hear is about the breaks in tracks. These breaks do NOT occur on the CD, which is the way the music was meant to be heard. If you must listen digitally, buy it on CD and rip it yourself (and if you can, rip each disk to a single track so the breaks don't exist and won't hamper the experience)

Great, your review convinced me even more to buy the Ayreon album. I'm a huge fan since "The Human Equation". I would have bought it anyway, but your review was awesome. As soon as I get some more money I will buy the Vinyl version, since it also contains the CDs for easy listening. Also I am looking forward to hear the voices of the two Italian ladies (Sara and Cristina) which make me very proud of being Italian!

your review is the first time i've ever heard of Ayreon and because of it i listened to the album and it blew my mind, it is absolutly awsome and Ayreon has won another fan because of you, thanks. and also a really good review :)

Well, you know you're doing something right when the artist responds to your review. Good on you, man. I bought the album while listening to the review. :-)

The story and the musicianship are outstanding. I love conceptual metal albums, and this one is a masterpiece to be hold for all generations. Thank you Arjen, keep it up. Also, I recommend for everyone to check out Kalisia - Cybion, is a great conceptual album too.

Great review! I agree with almost all your comments. It is nice to see someone else appreciate this level of talent in this place and time. Arjen is a musical genius and I believe at least one of his albums should have been in the top 3 in rolling stone's best prog albums

Nice review, and I felt the same thing about splitting in many smaller tracks. It does sort of hurt the cohesiveness of the whole, but it is still Ayreon, still genius and still amazing. Easily one of the best albums of the year, maybe even best.

Great review man. While Ayreon is not on my top favorite bands (simply because I like other types of metal), I definitely love the project and listen to it once in a while. And I cannot deny Lucassen's composing prowess, the dude is simply amazing. Again, great review. For anyone looking for similar sounds, check out Shadow Gallery, not sure but I think Lucassen is somehow involved in that band. Room V and Digital Ghost are really good albums from that band. Cheers.

Great review! This album is just amazing! I would like to hear what you think of the new Flower Kings album :-)

The complete number of segments is 42, which is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, recognized by Lucassen as a direct reference.[12] - Wikipedia. Explains why the 42 tracks so, even if it is annoying, it was brilliant as well.

I'd love to see you do a review of an Ancient Bards album. Sara Squadrani is a very gifted singer and those guys are something special. Not enough people know about them yet.

InsideOut didn't recommend that Arjen make it into 42 tracks, Lori, his girlfriend, did.

Cool! Yeah, it just came out. It's called Desolation Road and it's pretty awesome!

i don't know if you've heard Flaming Row's album Elinoire, but i'd say it deserves a listen.

great album, this guy does go on and on, fantastic album,

Review Transitus by Ayreon, it just got released. Nice review btw.

Don't forget Daniel from Pain of Salvation:)

It seems you have tackled everything I felt or thought concerning the album. The ending track being my least favorite part of the album, though still considerably good. The only part I would disagree with is the rating of 9 instead of a 10. I definitely feel both a relation and empathy which would create a bias, but I also feel it fully deserves that 10, and replaces my personal favorite from Ayreon (The Final Experiment) with ease.

For me there are too small tracks in this album and this wins the beautiful melodies. So I wouldn't recommend to others to buy it...

Very good review. I didn't like the album that much (too slow + singing was too much like talking), but it was energetic and detailed. I'll subscribe.

10/10 cmon

This album was my introduction to Ayreon. My main gripe with this album (and what's kept me from buying it) is the really simple lyrical content/dialogue, which at several points gets pretty stupid. It's a shame that I can't enjoy this album much due to the lyrics because there's fantastic instrumental stuff throughout. Plus, I absolutely love Tommy Karevik's voice, and he really got a spotlight here. On another note, I just listened to The Human Equation last night because I kept hearing it was Ayreon's best album. Thankfully it was leagues better than this album. Bought it today. EDIT: Ok, I got over it and got the album. While the lyrics are still weaker than The Human Equation and Into the Electric Castle (the other Ayreon albums I've heard so far), they're still good enough to carry the album and it's still enjoyable to listen to.

Just one thing I don’t understand is how did the prodigy’s father know that he lives in the lighthouse?

I don't see any psychedelia in it, or progressiveness on it technically, structures are the same, sounds are the same, nothing adventurous, Ayreon puts the same album over and over again! same Musical motives, safe metrics, no adventure or Expressionism, always thought that progressive referring to a certain Musical current, it's not well used to describe certain type of "style". Threshold for an example even though, it's very similar to Ayreon, are always trying new keyboard sounds, which in my opinion adds to a more colorful offerings, Yes for example, introduced that "altitude" changing (progression), which makes 'em Unique. this type of Bands are too predictable, another thing is the singers, their amazing! but their Vocal Lines are always the same; great musicianship, great sound, lack of creativeness, "progressive"? I don't know!....sorry I've studied and played Music for some time. greetings