Search - Ayreon :: Universal Migrator Pt.1: The Dream Sequencer

Another classic from Arjen

Lance M. Gentile | Willowick, Ohio USA | 10/04/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say? Read my review of Electric Castle first, as I described what makes Arjen's music special to me.This is a first CD of a set (sold separately) and is the softer of the two. On this CD, vocalists such as Johan Englund (Tiamat), Floor Jansen (After Forever), Lana Lane (Lana Lane), and Damian Wilson (formerly of Threshold) perform, among others as well as various musicians from bands like Symphony X, Spock's Beard and more...The blending of different musicians and vocalists really makes Arjen's work magical, and it's not necessarily because of who they are. Each track is distinctly different from another, but yet flows into a single storyline. I personally find Arjen's sci fi stories interesting.In this one, a single Mars colonist enters a machine called the Dream Sequencer, which allows the person to enter a dream state and venture back in time. The colonist is a sole survivor of a great holocaust (i believe). He goes back in time using the device, and each track is a pit stop along his travels. The rest of the story is told on disc 2: Flight of the Migrator and is a heavier disc overall.This is a great CD for anyone into concept rock or rock operas. Arjen's work could easily be turned into stage productions or musicals, or even films. It's more of a progressive rock CD than metal, along the lines of old Styx (I personally don't like Styx, I used them for the concept comparison), but retains a modern sound. Lots of synths and good use of moody guitar really bring this disc to life. I prefer this one over disc 2, and I usually like heavier music, but this one has magic.My only beef is I wish Floor Jansen had a better part; she has a truly powerful voice that I think should have been in the foreground of at least one track just for her (not as a backing vocalist). FYI: She's the lead singer from After Forever, an excellent gothic/power metal band."

Suggested...but with a disclaimer

Jeff Hodges | Denton, TX United States | 03/29/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ayreon is one of those names that has just kept coming up over and over again in my "research" of progressive rock. I'm not a huge fan of prog-metal, though, and I was hesitant to spend what little $ I earn on Ayreon when I know that the project leans in this direction. When I heard this CD concentrated on the more symphonic side of Lucassen's work, I thought it might be a good introduction for me (being the symphonic rock junkie that I am). The Dream Sequencer is a sci-fi rock opera (a tricky genre) about a lone human, possibly the last human, living on Mars. He has access to a research computer program called the Dream Sequencer. When logged in, it allows the user to interact with events throughout the history of man. Our "colonist" uses this machine to comfort himself in his loneliness. Pretty heady (I like it!). The music on this CD is excellent. The best way to describe it would be to answer the question "what would happen if Jean-Michel Jarre played keyboards for Pink Floyd." Lucassen uses powerful themes, virtuosic playing, and vivid atmospheres in well-constructed compositions. As in previous projects, this recording features contributions from many musicians in the modern prog/hard rock arena. I have said before that I dislike projects that use different musicians for different tracks, and it's a testament to Lucassen's vision that this project has continuity within itself with so many different musicians involved. The concept alone allows The Dream Sequencer to justifiably use a wide array of performances and styles as the colonists sort of "becomes one" with his experiences.Neil Morse, of course, has a characteristically good performance. In particular, any time Lana Lane opens her mouth, its great. She has two performances and they both stand out in quality and conviction. She's been put on my research list. For the music alone, I would give the about 93% of The Dream Sequencer 4-5 stars. There's only a couple of songs that I think fall short musically. One is "And the Druids Turn to Stone", which ventures pretty boldly into Spinal Tap territory (both vocally and conceptually), and the other is "The Temple of the Cat", which I will discuss momentarily.The hang ups I have about The Dream Sequencer happen at the lyrical level. As much as we are given this opportunity to look inside the head of the colonist, we are most often kept at arm's length. For example, at the beginning of the CD, we are given a very interesting soundscape right off, and one can get a good feeling for what the our landscape is like. We get the distinct sensation of immersion, that we are the colonist, and that all of this is happening to us. Then a computer voice (again, played by Lana Lane) comes on to give the colonist instructions for logging onto The Dream Sequencer. Then we hear the instructions being carried out ("put the electrodes to your temples"...pop,pop...."drink the fluid"....slurp, slurp), and the illusion of immersion is broken. Immediately, the effectiveness of everything that has happened musically is destroyed for the sake of spelling things out for the listener. The door inviting us in slams shut.When I get to "The Temple of the Cat", I start having some serious trouble. First off, it's one of the few tunes that does not stand up musically to the standard that has been previously set. The melody is pretty static, and there's some kinda stereotypical synth-chorus work. More obvious, though, is the all-visual survey perspective that the colonist maintains, which lends itself towards cliché and distances the listener from the experience. Why do I care if the Highpriest has a silvery blade on a golden chain? Why is the colonist here? What reason does he have for visiting this place? If we are going to be casual observers in this experience, we should be allowed inside the head of the character and watch his development, and we are not afforded this opportunity often enough, in my opinion. It is unfortunate that all the things I REALLY like the most about The Dream Sequencer cannot be discussed verbally. It's easy to poke holes in lyrics with words. However, describing music with words is, as the saying goes, like dancing about architecture. The music really is great, and I can largely ignore the lyrics for the benefit of the big musical picture, but sometimes the cheese factor is too much to bear. So, it can be said that I suggest this album, but with some reservations. I'm still listening to it, but not with friends around."

Watch your dreams flow into the music...

youthanasia | Istanbul, Turkey | 06/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd is the first part of a 2 cd set. There is a story going on through the entire cd, the story of your dreams. As the voice in the opening track speak to you, you understand that you are one of the last Mars colonists. You are left alone, and you seek refugee in what is called the "dream sequencer". This device takes you back in time in each song to a milestone in the history of the mankind, like the landing of the first man on the moon. It goes far back through time until it reaches the presence of the first man on earth.That is the story part of this cd. Now with the music: It is based mainly on synthesizers. They are used to create the rhythm and the mood of the songs and you will find that here and there they are also used for the melody lines and solos. There are beautiful guitar sections and when the guitar breaks into a solo, you will think how much that sounds like Pink Floyd. There are lots of singers in the cd, each singer sings only one song with the exception of one or two singers. This is a great cd with great melodies and with a totally different atmosphere. You can be attracted by many thing on this cd. If you are a synthesizer freak, you will find loads of it in here. If you like great, Pink Floyd-ish guitar solos, you will surprisingly find many of them here, and you won't believe your ears. This is a very atmospheric and a modern-type, symphonic experiment, I would say. And this experiment is a very successful one."