As a big fan of the previous albums Ayreons I was really looking forward to the new album, and then was not disappointed. As you can see from the other reviews is this is a concept album with several guest singers. The guest singers are always very well chosen with Ayreon and cover a wide range of gothic to folk to rock singer from. Very varied and very nice. I like Devon Graves, Mikael Åkerfeldt and Eric Clayton particularly well, the other singers do their job but also convincing, even James La Brie like me this time. Here, then everything is in butter. The songs are across the board good to terrific, have being crept especially on the first CD a few badly predictable and somewhat boring songs (Mystery Voices, Hope, Memories), but these are terrific songs like insulation, Pain, Childhood , School and Love towards that but then make the first CD to a balanced thing. (4 stars) The second CD is better and, in turn, has some real Kracher (trauma, Sign, Pride, Loser, Accident?), But does not have a hangover. (5 Stars) The rating for the whole work is thus somewhere between four and five stars for me. However, what the album is lacking is the atmosphere of "Into The Electric Castle". This and the repetition of some already known ideas on the first CD gave then ultimately the decisive factor in the four-man standings. Overall, this is therefore a very, very beautiful, complex, funky and interesting CD, which you can define a clear conscience. So a mixture of musical styles that is always conclusive is an ultimately not offered every day. The presentation is, as always with Ayreon, provided truly luxurious and with a horny artwork. So what you read yet, puts you this album, if you are interested in any form of prog rock, metal, Independet, art rock, or just want to hear unique for two hours of music only once.
