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Ayreon - "Elected" EP


Ayreon official website have published a press-release about a new Ayreon EP to be released at the end of April 2008 called "Elected."

On January 25, 2008 the rock operas of Arjen Lucassen and Tobias Sammet, respectively Ayreon's "01011001" and Avantasia's "The Scarecrow," were released simultaneously. The music press, always eager for a story, called this event the "Clash of the Titans," gleefully portraying the two musicians as bitter rivals and urging each to comment on the other in countless interviews. There was much speculation about which album would be more successful, but upon release both albums immediately charted in several countries around the world. When asked about the so-called rivalry, Arjen explains: "I'd not yet even heard Tobias's album, but when I found out he'd managed to get my all-time favourite artist Alice Cooper to guest on The Scarecrow, I totally freaked out and sent a hate-mail to Tobias's MySpace. Fortunately, he never received it."

Coincidentally however, Tobias, who was fed up with having to talk about Arjen in interviews, grudgingly decided it was time to get acquainted. He emailed Arjen, and in the stream of email and insults that followed "it turned out that Tobias hated me just as much for having got Bruce Dickinson to guest on an Ayreon album, haha!" Arjen explains. Despite their mutual hatred, the two musicians eventually hatched a plan to put some fuel on the fire created by the press by doing the unthinkable: recording a song together. The result is a mind-blowing over-the-top cover version of Elected, the original version of which was a big hit for Alice Cooper back in 1973.

The song "Elected" will be featured on a 4-track EP released by Inside Out Music/SPV (release dates: 25 April for Germany/Austria/Switzerland; 28 April for Europe). The 3 other tracks featured on the EP are an acoustic live radio session of the "01011001" track "E=mc2" with Marjan Welman on vocals, "Ride the Comet" taken from the album "01011001," and a touching piano-only version of "The Human Equation" track "Day Six: Childhood" featuring Joost van den Broek and Marjan Welman.

The cover can be viewed here.

In other news. The latest Ayreon album "01011001" will be released on vinyl.

As reported in the Arjen Lucassen newsletter #82, the new Ayreon album "0011001" is to be released on vinyl. It will be a triple-album set on clear vinyl. However, the mid-March release date has been postponed. The new (but still tentative!) release dates are as follows: Germany, Austria, Switzerland: 11 April; Europe: 14 April; USA: 22 April.

Source: ayreon.com
Band profile: Ayreon
Posted: 23.03.2008 by Ivor


Comments

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Comments: 14   Visited by: 132 users
23.03.2008 - 00:17
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
Haha this is hilarious. Should be an interesting listen.
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23.03.2008 - 00:50
Akke920

Yeah, i've got the same opinion! Will be really interesting, i read this some days ago on blabbermouth so i did know about this, but it will be interesting! (But Ayreon's new album is much stronger than avantasias'!)You'll never know what the song will be like? Tobi singing through the whole song and arjen plays all instruments? or will Arjen put in any vocal parts too? you'll never know..
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23.03.2008 - 01:38
Nacur

If this really get serious (what I doubt, but expect) maybe we already have a drama of the year....hehehe
xP

PS.: Ayreon destroys Avantasia soo much that is not funny....xD
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23.03.2008 - 02:14
Cobranaconda
Account deleted
I love all the Ayreon references in the cover. The Universal (Migrator), Ayreonaut, Volume 2084, Number 01011001, The Electric Castle.

Also, note the date on it: April 1st. Also says Monday, April 1st, and April 1st is a Tuesday this year
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23.03.2008 - 02:19
Fernand

Can't wait for every Ayreon's work!
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23.03.2008 - 03:05
Keiheji

This is the best right here. Cant say I heard much about the feud between them, but both their reactions were just as expected, comical lmao

Think I should get this EP just out of principal.
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23.03.2008 - 10:19
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
Hilarious xD and i love the cover, looks like it's inspired by thick as a brick x)
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23.03.2008 - 11:21
FOOCK Nam

Nice to see they can peacefully work together. Weird cover but fited to the context between bands
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23.03.2008 - 11:40
GT
Coffee!!
Haha good idea...sounds like an interesting EP
----


Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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23.03.2008 - 16:32
jadawal

Avantasia is horrible, especially his new stuff, Ayreon blows him out of the water.

I still want to listen to this, it does look very inspired by thick as a brick.
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23.03.2008 - 16:38
RhaegarTargaryen
Telcontar
hahah they should have wait to get this in public on April 1st, that way the confusion would be complete hahah ) but the hata mails )) LoL
----
... For years I have traveled in coldness,
But my heart is warm as the darkened sun above me...
Nothing can never take away
What I've seen with these tired eyes
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23.03.2008 - 18:10
Baz Anderson

haha of course there isn't a feud between the two of them, this just sounds like a funny story they would make up to help sell a pretty pointless CD with an Alice Cooper cover on it..
I am interested to hear the cover, but although I love Ayreon - this isn't worth my money
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24.03.2008 - 02:09
Evil Chip

Great idea of arjen to do it. Hope it sounds good. The hate mails lmao.
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24.03.2008 - 12:10
Born-2rise
Nayyiker
kool
----
Take a look to the sky just before you die, its the last time you will.
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