Artist: Ayreon Album: 01011001 (2008) Label: SPV/InsideOut Music America Website: http://www.ayreon.com Reviewer: Bill Knispel

Track List: Disc 1 - Y 1. "Age of Shadows" - 10:47     1. incl. "We Are Forever" 2. "Comatose" - 4:26 3. "Liquid Eternity" - 8:10 4. "Connect the Dots" - 4:13 5. "Beneath the Waves" - 8:26     1. "Beneath the Waves"     2. "Face the Facts"     3. "But a Memory..."     4. "World Without Walls"     5. "Reality Bleeds" 6. "Newborn Race" - 7:49     1. "The Incentive"     2. "The Vision"     3. "The Procedure"     4. "Another Life"     5. "Newborn Race"     6. "The Conclusion" 7. "Ride the Comet" - 3:29 8. "Web of Lies" - 2:50 Disc 2 - EARTH 1. "The Fifth Extinction" - 10:29     1. "Glimmer of Hope"     2. "World of Tomorrow Dreams"     3. "Collision Course"     4. "From the Ashes"     5. "Glimmer of Hope (reprise)" 2. "Waking Dreams" - 6:31 3. "The Truth Is In Here" - 5:12 4. "Unnatural Selection" - 7:15 5. "River of Time" - 4:24 6. "E=MC²" - 5:50 7. "The Sixth Extinction" - 12:18     1. "Echoes on the Wind"     2. "Radioactive Grave"     3. "2085"     4. "To the Planet of Red"     5. "Spirit on the Wind"     6. "Complete the Circle" Several things can be taken as givens when it’s time to review a new Ayreon album: 1) It will be a massive concept album 2) The number of guests will be immense 3) The word count for song titles and album personnel will probably outnumber the word count for the whole review. 01011001 probably comes close...but for good reason. Carrying on storylines and themes from The Final Experiment, The Human Equation, Into the Electric Castle and Universal Migrator, 01011001 sees Ayreon in solid form, crafting melodic and memorable heavy progressive rock, with a veritable who’s who of progressive rock and metal vocalists adding their distinctive talents to the fold. Musically, Ayreon and his long time collaborator Ed Warby (Gorefest) are joined by members of Dream Theater, the Flower Kings, Symphony X, Stream of Passion and After Forever, among other groups, on an expansive 2 disc concept piece that fits comfortably within the mythology the Dutch gutitarist/vocalist/composer has crafted. I’ll be honest...I find it hard to review this album on a track by track basis. 01011001 is, after all, essentially a rock opera, yet it’s also something more than that. Take an album like the Who’s Tommy, generally considered the first full-fledged rock opera. While it is a single work, individual tracks could be pulled out of that work and stand on their own as singles. I don’t necessarily feel the same way about 01011001; I think each piece relies on the ones around it more to build the storyline. It might also help the listener understand the ongoing story if one has heard the previously mentioned Ayreon albums, but I don’t think it’s essential; despite nothing more than a passing understanding of what’s been covered before with the final experiment, and the visitations by the residents of Planet Y, I find this release to be engrossing and enjoyable, without feeling like I’m missing out. Having said all of the above, here’s a list of some of the things I like about the album, in no particular order: 1) I love “Web of Lies,” a pretty ballad that closes out disc 1, and tells the sordid tale of people seeking out true love on the internet. Poor PX (played by Phideaux Xavier, founder of the band bearing his first name)...led on by that temptress Simone Simons, who declares he is the one for her, only to say the same thing to another anonymous guy on line. The music is beautiful, the playfulness in the vocals is a joy to listen to. Definitely a highlight. 2) “World of Tomorrow,” which opens the second disc, features some great orchestration, a very cool synth solo from Derek Sherinian, and fantastic vocals from Bob Catley (a voice I love and am super pleased to hear on this album), Jorn Lande, Tom Englund and Daniel Gildenlöw, among others. I’ll be pilloried for saying this, but...despite my opinions of his work as expressed elsewhere on this site (see Scarsick review for details), his talents are on display here, and his voice works perfectly for the parts he has to sing on this track. 3) Death vocals. Yes. Death grunt on an Ayreon album. Jonas Renske from Katatonia lets loose some deep, guttural growls on the epic “The Sixth Extinction,” while also providing some fantastic clean vocals as well. The grunt adds a great dimension on the album and the song they are used on, entirely fitting considering the subject matter at hand. 4) “Age of Shadows.” Every album should open as powerfully as this one does. From a processed industrial rhythm to an insistent and hook-covered riff, this piece very nearly distills everything Ayreon into just more than ten minutes. It caught me from first listen, and it really does a great job of hooking the listener and reeling them in. In the final analysis, I think I can say the following two things fairly: 1) If you love Ayreon, everything you love is here on 01011001, and then some. 2) If you find Ayreon’s material to be overwrought and twee...you’ll probably continue to feel that way with 01011001. Having said this, I encourage you to check out 01011001. Find a friend who has a copy, or listen to samples online. For me, this is an album that has rekindled my enjoyment of Ayreon’s work, and has me ready to rediscover those older albums I haven’t listened to in years. Four years on from his last release (Stream of Passion not withstanding), 01011001 sees the Dutch musical mastermind still at the top of his game. Personnel (Vocalists, including identifying symbol as included in liner notes): Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian, Demons & Wizards) (Celtic cross) Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation) (®) Tom S. Englund (Evergrey) (Lightning bolt) Jonas Renkse (Katatonia) (Pentacle) Jørn Lande (ex-Masterplan, ARK) (Crow) Anneke van Giersbergen (Agua de Annique, ex-The Gathering) (heart) Steve Lee (Gotthard) (Yin Yang) Bob Catley (Magnum) (Pinwheel) Floor Jansen (After Forever, Star One) (O) Magali Luyten (Beautiful Sin, Virus IV) (Crescent) Simone Simons (Epica) as Simone, an internet-dating service user. Phideaux Xavier as PX, an internet-dating service user. Wudstik as a 21st century scientist, preparing The Final Experiment. Marjan Welman (Elister) as a 21st century scientist, preparing The Final Experiment. Arjen Anthony Lucassen as Mr. L, a mentally ill man in an asylum. Liselotte Hegt (Dial) as the mentally ill man's nurse in the asylum. Ty Tabor (King's X) as an average middle-class worker, with an average family. Personnel (Instrumentalists): Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Guitar, keyboards, synths, bass guitar, programming Ed Warby (Gorefest) - Drums and percussion Lori Linstruth (ex-Stream of Passion) - Guitar solo on "Newborn Race" Michael Romeo (Symphony X) - Guitar solo on "E=MC²" Derek Sherinian (Planet X, Yngwie Malmsteen, ex-Dream Theater) - Keyboard solo on "The Fifth Extinction" Tomas Bodin (The Flower Kings) - Keyboard solo on "Waking Dreams" Joost van den Broek (After Forever) - Piano and Keyboard solo on "The Sixth Extinction" Jeroen Goossens (Flairck) - Flutes Ben Mathot (Dis) - Violins David Faber - Cellos