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Ayreon - The Universal Migrator Part II: Flight Of The Migrator review




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Reviewer:
8.0

398 users:
8.4
Band: Ayreon
Album: The Universal Migrator Part II: Flight Of The Migrator
Release date: July 2000


01. Chaos [Feat. Lana Lane]
02. Dawn Of A Million Souls [Feat. Russell Allen & Damian Wilson]
03. Journey On The Waves Of Time [Feat. Ralf Scheepers]
04. To The Quasar [Feat. Andi Deris & Lana Lane]
    1 - The Taurus Pulsar
    2 - Quasar 3C273
05. Into The Black Hole [Feat. Bruce Dickinson & Lana Lane]
    1 - The Eye Of The Universe
    2 - Halo Of Darkness
    3 - The Final Door
06. Through The Wormhole [Feat. Fabio Lione & Lana Lane]
07. Out Of The White Hole [Feat. Timo Kotipelto]
    1 - M31
    2 - Planet Y
    3 - The Search Continues
08. To The Solar System [Feat. Robert Soeterboek]
    1 - Planet Of Blue
    2 - System Alert
09. The New Migrator [Feat. Ian Parry & Lana Lane]
    1 - Metamorphosis
    2 - Sleeper Awake

Looking at the list of guest singers, this could possibly be the best album ever for a power/heavy/progressive metal fan. This is not the case, although the second part of this double album about the "Universal Migrator" is worth checking out. When composer Arjen did these twin albums, he decided to split his music in two parts - metal and not metal. This is the metalpart, and the only "pure" metal album Ayreon has ever released. Although there are a lot of influences from rock and progressive rock there's also some power metal in almost every track. The music reminds mostly of Star One (another project of Arjen), otherwise like nothing else.

The intro is an instrumental track, and it's just total mayhem of power/progressive madness. It was actually written and recorded with digital drums long ago by Arjen (the original can be heard on the compilation Ayreonauts Only) but this new version features an intro and the great Ed Warby on drums, also providing a solo. All the other tracks have their own singer, and the guest list is stunning. Or what do you think about power singers Andi Deris, Timo Kotipelto, Ian Parry, Ralf Scheepers and Fabio Lione? Prog singers Damian Wilson and Russel Allen? Previous Ayreon singer Robert Soeterboek? Queen of symphonic rock - Lana Lane as a narrator? And finally Bruce Dickinson himself! But actually I'm afraid to disappoint you - this is actually an average album, the "worst" Ayreon release; I've heard Arjen himself is not very happy with it either. Altough there are some outstanding tracks which are enough for me to give this album a relatively high rating. The intro Chaos is marvelous. Dawn of a Million Souls sung by Russel Allen is also a great, way above the average track. To the Quasar is odd with a nice psychedelic touch, heavy riffs and probably one of the best songs here, although Andi Deris' voice sounds very strange with this music. The best track is absolutely Into the Black Hole sung by Bruce Dickinson. This is one of the best Ayreon songs and in my opinion the best song Bruce has ever recorded. It's epic, a great piece of metal and it also contains a lot of "non-metal" - it's just marvelous! The other tracks are usually not bad at all but not very interesting. Often the voices don't fit with the song, and they are not memorable amongst other Ayreon songs.

If you want to start listening to progressive metal this can be a great start. If you want to start with Ayreon, don't get this one.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 8
Production: 8

Written by Spyroid | 27.12.2006




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 113 users
06.01.2007 - 16:57
Rating: 10
ylside

Ayreon at it's best imo, even if Arjen thinks otherwise ...Truly the best progressive metal album I've heard
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09.01.2007 - 01:47
Bitch Boy

Good review!! This album has very good guests, especially Lana Lane, Russel Allen and Timo Kotipelto. My favorite song is "Into the black hole".
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23.01.2007 - 02:08
lazarus

It's a very good album indeed. Only that I would rate the Performance with 10 and the Originality with 9.
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And sometimes I despair
At who I've become
I have to come to terms
With what I've done
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11.07.2008 - 21:38
Rating: 8
Warman
Erotic Stains
Whoa, just bought the special edition of this album. Listening to Part I now... but best Bruce Dickinson song ever? If it beats any Iron Maiden song it could likely be the best song ever!
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12.07.2008 - 04:33
Rating: 9
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
Written by Warman on 11.07.2008 at 21:38

Whoa, just bought the special edition of this album. Listening to Part I now... but best Bruce Dickinson song ever? If it beats any Iron Maiden song it could likely be the best song ever!


I got it wrong there xD My point is that it's his best performance, not the best song he's singing on -.- sorry if I made you disapointed
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23.03.2009 - 21:29
Rating: 7
Paradox0
Unasuming Madnes
Y'know i'm agreeign with you that this was a pretty hohum Ayreon album. Kind of reminds me of 01011001 when the two discs had different feels, but the difference wasn't as different as UM 1 & 2. UM2 showcases that Ayreon just doesn't translate well into straightforward metal (as compared to his other things). Sure it's definetly progressive metal in structure but just doesn't have that progressive soul that Ayreon usually has (or that metal opera feeling neither). the only song I really liked at all was Journey on the Waves of Time, which was just good. Everything else is pretty bland. Maybe it's that their singing about inanimate objects, or the instrumentation just isn't wow material, but its just a lacking album in my opinion.
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30.10.2009 - 07:25
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Written by Paradox0 on 23.03.2009 at 21:29

Y'know i'm agreeign with you that this was a pretty hohum Ayreon album. Kind of reminds me of 01011001 when the two discs had different feels, but the difference wasn't as different as UM 1 & 2. UM2 showcases that Ayreon just doesn't translate well into straightforward metal (as compared to his other things). Sure it's definetly progressive metal in structure but just doesn't have that progressive soul that Ayreon usually has (or that metal opera feeling neither). the only song I really liked at all was Journey on the Waves of Time, which was just good. Everything else is pretty bland. Maybe it's that their singing about inanimate objects, or the instrumentation just isn't wow material, but its just a lacking album in my opinion.


Write everything, completly agree with you.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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21.08.2011 - 11:33
ErnilEnNaur
Account deleted
I must be one of the few people who prefers Part I to Part II. Arjen said that he didn't want to create an ITEC Part II, which is understandable, but for me the Universal Migrator albums will always be two pretty good, but not amazing albums between his two true masterpieces ITEC and THE.
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